Cleverly Planned Coincidences
by Gemmi92
Summary: "Anyway, I think this is my train," she said, motioning to the one which had just pulled up alongside the platform. "No kidding," he drawled out. "It looks like this is my train, too. Coincidental, huh?" But, he knew that it wasn't a coincidence. It was a cleverly planned event. Jackson/OC
1. Chapter 1

He pushed his sunglasses onto the top of his head, his hand resting over his mouth as he did so. Gently, he stopped himself from closing his eyes and appearing rude as he waited in the queue for the train tickets to be handed out. When he had asked for a weekend off this wasn't what he had in mind. His weekend off had been ruined by one phone call. He often found that to be an issue. But, he'd sighed and accepted the challenge which had been posted for him.

He slowly moved down the queue before seeing the woman walk back out from it, carrying her ticket in her hand and making sure that all of the details were correct. He observed the way she pushed her dirty blonde hair behind her shoulders and chewed on the gum in her mouth loudly, not caring for anyone who was around her and didn't want to listen to the noise. He supposed it wouldn't be a hard challenge for him to carry out. She didn't look strong willed and the information he'd received on her showed as much.

Five hours and ten minutes. That was how long it would take her to get up to Seattle from LA and it was how long he had to complete the task which had been set of him. Politely, he gave his name, informing the woman behind the desk that he already had a reserved ticket. She'd nodded back once, handing it to him and he tucked it into his jacket, pushing his hair behind his ears and removing the sunglasses from his head, dropping them into the go-bag which he had with him.

He spotted her sat by the platform on a large mesh bench, playing on the BlackBerry which she owned with her nimble fingers. She clearly spent a lot of time on the machine. He wasn't particularly in the mood to talk to her. He wasn't particularly in the mood to talk to anyone, hence why he booked the weekend off.

But, business was business. He took a seat on the bench, bringing out the book which the firm had given him and he scoffed at it slightly before flicking to a random page, scanning through it, not really caring what it was about. He'd been told that it would be her favourite book. Everyone needed an ice breaker.

"No." She suddenly snapped and he flinched, looking to the side where she was leant forwards, her head shaking from side to side as her hand snapped forwards, slicing through the air to vent her frustration. "I told you that I would have the article done, Val. Why couldn't you just give me another day? I'm on my way back from LA now. You know that I only came out here for the conference."

His eyes remained focused on the book but his ears entirely concentrated on the conversation which she was having. He could feel people who were walking past stare at her as they went, wondering how her reddening cheeks and angry tone had come about. That was the problem with most people. They were wrapped up in their own world, but, thoroughly enjoyed sniffing into other people's business, trying to see if it was worse than their life. He rarely paid attention to the world around him unless he was working on a job. People held little attention for him.

"Tomorrow morning. I'll have it done by ten a.m. sharp. I just need you to hold the article for one more day. I went the restaurant and I know what it is like. I can give it an honest write up in comparison to someone who went and rushed through three courses." She snapped and leant back on the seat, folding her legs before she allowed the breath which she had been holding in to leave her body, her chest deflating as she nodded to herself. "Thanks, Val. Yes, I'll see you tomorrow."

His eyes scanned back across the black words of his book and then onto the blue seat before they settled on her face and he chuckled lightly, looking up and over at her.

"Stressful, isn't it?" he checked with her. She looked across to the man, her eyes wide with wonder as to why he was talking to her and he closed his book, allowing her eyes to glance at the title. "Work, it's overrated."

"Oh, that," she spoke, her voice deflated as she looked at her phone and he did the same. She shrugged once and dropped the device into her lap, one hand holding it whilst the other wrapped across her waist and scratched her arm. "Well, we need to do it."

"True," he said back to her, waiting for her to feel as though she should say something back to him. He knew how people worked. You struck up a conversation with them and they felt the need to keep it going until it turned awkward or they had to be somewhere. He'd done it plenty of times to know the typical routine inside out.

"You're reading Jane Eyre?" she checked and he looked at the book, pretending to forget what he had been reading before he nodded, tapping the book against his thigh as he did so. She couldn't help but feel that it seemed like a strange book for a man to read. Her father had told her that the classics by the likes Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen filled her head with feministic heroism. She disagreed entirely, seeing them as works of art and nothing more than that.

"I am," he confirmed, sensing how she was looking at him with an arched brow as his eyes remained fixed on the title. He didn't want her to think that he was stalking her before she knew it for real. "I'm an English teacher," he lied with a shrug. "I'm supposed to be setting my pupils a quiz on Jane Eyre, but, I've completely forgot about it. I wouldn't want to look dense in front of them," he lied; a smirk on his lips as he saw her relax at his plausible answer.

"Well, it's a really fascinating book," she informed him. "It's one of my favourites, actually."

"No kidding?" he asked her and she shrugged, chewing on her gum again and churning it around in her mouth. "Well, it's proving to be a fascinating read."

"Really? What part are you up to?"

Crap. He hadn't expected that. Why didn't he just ask her out for a drink? That always impressed women. But, no, he had to be out of the zone and get himself into a conversation about a book which he hadn't read since high school.

"Mr Rochester has just had the unfortunate event of a fire in his room," he said, his voice coming across as confident whilst he tried to rack his brain, wondering if that had happened. He was pretty sure that it had.

"Ah," she spoke back, popping the gum out from her mouth and throwing it into the bin next to the seat which she was sat on. "Just as they begin to enjoy each other's company then the mysterious fire and the unexplained laugh happen."

"Yes, that's it," he said back and she laughed once to herself, shaking her head as he laughed once along with her.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't even know you. I shouldn't be quizzing you on Jane Eyre when you seem perfectly knowledgeable of it already."

"No worries," he shrugged nonchalantly. "It was quite refreshing in comparison to having to listen to children ask me questions about it when they know nothing."

"Let me guess, they tend to think the film version is the same as the book?" she checked and he clicked his fingers quickly.

"Got it in one," he said back to her. She smiled and checked the clock on her BlackBerry before she stood up and grabbed the satchel which she had been carrying along with the small travel on case. He watched as she pulled down the pencil skirt which she wore and made sure her white blouse was tucked inside of it.

"Anyway, I think this is my train," she said, motioning to the one which had just pulled up alongside the platform and he stood up along with her, his eyes wide and he snorted once, shaking his head as he pulled his ticket out.

"No kidding," he drawled out. "It looks like this is my train, too."

"Seattle?" she checked and he nodded.

"Coincidental, huh?" he responded and she nodded once, grabbing her own ticket from her satchel, checking the number on it for the seat which she had reserved. But, he knew that it wasn't a coincidence. It was a cleverly planned event.

"Well...it isn't like we'll be sat next to each other, is it?" he told her, walking by her side as they stood behind the masses of people who were ready to board the train. She pulled her ticket away from her line of vision so she could see the number properly. She should have worn her glasses; the blurred closeness was no good for her.

"I'm in coach three in seat twenty two," she said and he shook his head, grinning as he did so.

"Coincidental again," he informed her. "I'm in seat twenty one."

"What?" she checked and he shrugged.

"It is probable," he simply spoke and she giggled lightly, the sound moving into his ears before he placed his ticket back into his pocket, simply choosing to follow her and where she went. "Looks like we should introduce ourselves, doesn't it?"

"Well, if you're going to have to spend the next five hours next to me then possibly," she replied, pushing her satchel behind her side and offering him her hand professionally as she dragged her case closer to the train. "I'm Amelia Drayton."

"Nice to meet you, Amelia Drayton," he smiled, taking her warm hand into his relatively cold one as his blue orbs found hers. "Jackson Rippner."

"Well...it's nice to meet you," she said before she pulled her case into her hands, dragging it down the small aisle of the train until she found her seat. Jackson placed his hands into his pockets, watching her as she walked off down the aisle and he eyed her with suspicion.

She tucked her hair behind her ear before grabbing her small case, pulling it into her arms and attempting to place it in the overhead compartment. He helped her, smiling softly as he did so.

"You got it?" she worried and he nodded at her.

"What have you got in that thing?" he asked. "It weighs a tonne. You're not transporting a dead body, are you?"

"Very funny," she commented. "No, it's mainly shoes and clothes along with toiletries. Unlike what you have in that thing." She pointed to the bag which he was carrying and he placed it beside her case as she settled herself into the window seat.

"I'm a male. We travel light," he informed her and she chuckled, shaking her head as she looked at him and he sat in the vacant seat next to her.

"You sound just like my brother."

And how he knew about her brother. How he knew very much about her brother.

...

A/N: So someone suggested that I write a Jackson/OC fic and here we are. This takes place before Red Eye by the way. So, if you've taken the time to read the first chapter then thank you very much and it would be much more appreciated if you leave me a review to let me know if it is any good so far. I never know! So, please review!


	2. Chapter 2

"So, you're a food critic?" Jackson checked with Amelia as she sat beside him and the train pulled out from the station. She nodded once at him, folding her legs and juggling her satchel on them as she did so. Her eyes were downcast onto the leather before she placed her hair behind her ears and continued nodding, searching for her BlackBerry which she had dropped into the bag.

"I visit restaurants and write reports," she informed him. "It doesn't pay extremely well, but, I do get free meals every week."

"Well, you can't complain at that," Jackson replied, resting his head against the headrest and his arms on the armrests whilst he closed his eyes for a moment. "How long have you been a critic for?"

"Three years," Amelia said, finally finding her BlackBerry and pushing the buttons, her eyes focused on the screen as she squinted to clearly make out what the numbers said and who she was sending the text to. "I work for the local newspaper so it's nothing fancy. I'm hoping that I can work my way up though. You know, have a portfolio and hand it into the New York Times."

"Big dreams then," Jackson nodded, opening his eyes again and looking back onto her, wondering who she was texting before she dropped her phone back into her bag and she placed the leather onto the floor by her seat, resting it against the wall of the train as she did so.

"I'm guessing that's all they'll ever be," she informed him with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I don't really have the money or the experience to attempt to move up just yet."

"I'm sure that you'll get there," he said to her and she looked over to him, a sly grin on her face as she did so and he remained smiling gently, finding that it put most people at ease when he did it. She shrugged once, not seeming too bothered in discussing her job as she looked at him closely. His suit was neat, clearly not designer, but, it wasn't shabby. The blue shirt he wore had the top two buttons undone and his hair was neatly combed, occasionally falling from behind his ears.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter. Who cares about work?" she joked and he chuckled, saluting her on that statement as he did so. If only she knew how much he cared about work. Actually, it was probably best that she remained ignorant. It was bliss, after all. "So, are you from LA or Seattle?"

"LA," he nodded at her. "I'm going to Seattle to visit my parents."

"During term time?" Amelia asked and he bit down on his tongue again, thinking before he spoke. He shrugged once before settling on an answer for her.

"I'm part time," he declared and she nodded at him as the drink cart began to move down the aisle and he looked at her for a second, motioning to it as it passed. "Do you want a drink?" he wondered and she took a moment to think about it before nodding, grabbing onto her bag. But, he shook his head.

"I've got these," he promised her. "What do you want?"

"Oh...are you sure?" she asked and he nodded at her.

"It's not a problem," he spoke, moving his hand into his jacket pocket and producing his black wallet, opening it up and checking that he still had the money and the necessary phone number which he needed.

"Coffee, please," Amelia said and relaxed back in her seat whilst Jackson ordered the drinks and the woman gave them a friendly smile, handing them the liquids. Amelia took a sip, burning her tongue slightly as Jackson lowered down the fold up tray on the back of the seat in front, resting his drink onto it and pouring in the sugar, hoping it would give him a sugar rush.

"Thanks for the drink," she said and he shrugged.

"Well, if we're going to spend five hours on here then we need something to keep us going," he told her. "Nine at night is a while off."

"Ugh, don't remind me," she rolled her eyes.

"Why didn't you get the plane back home?" Jackson asked her and she shook her head at him, downing some more of her coffee as she held it tightly in her hands, feeling the warmth from it move through her body as she did so.

"I don't like planes," she said simply. "I refuse to get on them. My mom and dad had to hold a paper bag by their side when we went to Disney World."

"I can imagine that didn't make the holiday enjoyable," Jackson chuckled and Amelia smiled at the memory, shaking her head as she did so.

"No, I spent the rest of the holiday worrying about the flight back home," she informed him and he nodded, drinking some of his sugary coffee. "It wasn't all that enjoyable. My brother kept insisting that I was being a wimp."

"How old is your brother?" Jackson asked her, remaining calm as Amelia took a moment to think about the question.

"He's twenty nine," she spoke after counting the year's difference between the two siblings.

"And what does he do?" Jackson wondered.

"He's in the stock market," Amelia said dully and Jackson arched a brow and she nodded at him. "I know; selling stocks and shares isn't something which I fully understand. He comes back from New York every Christmas and tells us about it. Along with this week when it's the middle of summer."

"I can imagine you hit the cooking sherry out of boredom," Jackson joked again and she laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulders and nodding once at him as she looked into his blue orbs again.

"I did one time," she said and his eyes widened.

"Seriously?" he checked and she nodded, still laughing lightly as she did so.

"Yeah," she said. "I was twenty one at the time and had just started to drink when he began to talk. You know what it's like as soon as you become legal."

"You can't wait to have the alcohol flowing down you," he finished off and she nodded in agreement. And that was what it had been like. Her youth was spent with crazy parties and no ambition in college until her parents demanded her to clean up her act. She did so; realising that she had to do something with her life and cooking had always been something she enjoyed.

"Anyway, George isn't really that interesting," she shrugged off; sipping on her drink and Jackson chuckled, shaking his head at her as he did so.

"Oh, I disagree," he informed her and she arched a brow at him, moving the polystyrene cup back down from her lips as his eyes remained focused on the seat in front. "I think he's a much more interesting person than you give him credit for."

"I didn't realise that stocks and shares were you thing," Amelia said, still smiling as his eyes looked back onto hers, their blueness filled with something other than politeness which she had become accustomed to from him.

"They're not," he said to her and she looked confused at what he was saying. "Like I said, George seems a fascinating person."

"Right," Amelia whispered. "And why would you say that?"

"Oh, I don't know," Jackson shrugged nonchalantly, sipping on his drink. "A successful business man who is basically running the stock market. You could say that interests some people."

Amelia felt her brain begin to whirl and she shook her head softly, smiling in disbelief as she gasped for a moment and looked onto her lap before looking back at him, her eyes narrowed as she did so.

"I never said anything about successful," she said and he softly placed his hand over his mouth, his brows rising halfway up his forehead as he did so.

"Oops," he spoke softly. "My mistake."

"I'm sorry," Amelia said gently, "but who are you?"

"No one of importance," he whispered to her, leaning in closer as she continued to examine his pale features, wondering what he wanted from her.

"Right," Amelia whispered again, looking around before she tried to stand up. Jackson was quicker, moving his arm to wrap over her stomach, holding her in her place so that she couldn't leave and he looked up and down the aisle of the coach whilst Amelia felt her chest clench and her stomach churn at what he was doing. His hand remained firm on her hip, stopping her from moving before he turned back to look at her, his other arm resting on the fold up tray as he did so.

"Now you see, Amelia," he drawled, "you can't really go anywhere."

"What do you mean?" Amelia asked him softly. "You're beginning to scare me."

"No," he shook his head, his eyes mocking sadness as he did so. "I never wanted to scare you, Ames, that's not part of the plan."

"Who are you?" Amelia hissed as he removed his arm from her stomach and she slumped back down in her seat, watching him as he looked forwards and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose together with his hand as he did so.

"Now, you see, I'm really a no one," he promised her. "I'm just here with a job to do. It isn't a difficult job if you just listen to me for a moment, okay?"

"I really think that I should move," Amelia tried again and Jackson shook his head at her, grabbing onto her arm to stop her from moving.

"I really think that you should listen to me," he snapped at her and she winced at the noise of his voice as he took a moment to regain his composure and her limbs rested in her hold. "Good. Now, this is quite simple, Ames. Your family are all snugly at your house, aren't they? Outside in the back garden and waiting for you and your brother to return home for a lovely summer party. Now, I'm not talking intimate family, I'm talking everyone. Even Uncle Robert who you only see during the summer."

Amelia remained mute as she took in what he had just said he nodded sternly, seeing her pale face turn ghost white as his thumb stroked up and down her arm rhythmically in a soothing motion, his eyes locked onto the action which he was doing.

"But, your brother is on a flight there now, isn't he? He's left his swanky apartment on Fifth Avenue for the small terrace of Two Twenty Woodcross Street to be with his family."

Amelia looked back up and into his eyes as he remained focused on his thumb and she shuddered once, almost dropping the coffee which was in her hands as she gulped once, wondering how he knew all of this and wondering how he knew about her and her family.

"It's quite simple, Amy," he whispered softly, his lips moving closer to her ear as he did so. "You need to call your brother and tell him to meet you at Marco's restaurant. You know, that small Italian where you had your eighteenth birthday party?"

Amelia gulped loudly, her body shaking as she did so and he moved his free hand over to rest on her cheek, wiping the tear which was forming in the corner of her eye away from her face. She shook her head, gulping once again as his cold hand touched her skin.

"Why?" she managed to spit the word out and Jackson smirked.

"Excellent question," he spoke back. "Your brother has become quite a menace in New York. Buying things he isn't supposed to buy. Illegal business which doesn't look good on some people, Ames."

"And why do I need to get him to go to the restaurant?" Amelia harshly asked and Jackson leant back in his seat, taking his hands from her and clasping them together on the tray in front of him.

"There's a gnome in your back garden, isn't there? A small one with a green hat," Jackson clarified and Amelia nodded once. "Well, if your brother doesn't go to the restaurant then the gnome will go boom, Ames. Along with your house. An unfortunate gas explosion."

"What?" Amelia snapped at him, unable to resist her outburst and Jackson shrugged.

"That doesn't have to happen, Amelia," he promised her. "You get your brother to the restaurant and the burgers keep flowing as per usual."

"And...George...what happens to him?" Amelia asked and Jackson sighed. She realised that she didn't need an answer from him. She understood perfectly well.

"You're going to kill him," she stated.

"Not me personally," he promised her and she shook her head.

"How do I know that you're not lying?" she replied and he sighed. They always asked the same questions. He leant closer to her again, inhaling the scent of the designer perfume she wore before he spoke gently and soothingly.

"I know your house, Amelia. I know the gnome. I know everything about you and George. I think it is safe to say that I'm not lying," he told her and removed another tear from her cheek as she glared at him, thinking about what to do. "Now, the phone call should be quite simple, shouldn't it? All I'm asking is for one man and in return you save your entire family."

"You're asking for my brother."

"Who you see twice a year," Jackson snapped back. "And who isn't as saintly as he seems. I'll give you ten minutes to digest this. And then you're on the phone to him, do you understand me?"

"No," Amelia shook her head at him, reacting before he had a chance to say anything back to her. Quickly, she pulled off the lid to her coffee cup, pouring the lukewarm water into his lap as he screeched out in pain once at the shock and heat. Amelia stood up as he pushed the tray up, his own empty coffee cup falling to the floor. She tried to move past him as he glared at her and people looked at the commotion occurring around them.

"You should go to the bathroom," Amelia suggested when it was clear she wasn't getting out from the small seats she was cramped into. Jackson turned his blue orbs onto her and glared as people muttered agreements with the journalist. "Get cleaned up."

"I'll be fine," Jackson replied to her, a smile moving onto his lips as people finally moved their glazes back onto their own business. He sat back down, pushing Amelia back into her seat as he did so. "Get me some tissues from your bag," he growled at her and she remained stubborn before he shook his head.

"Get me them now," he snapped lowly. "Or I blow mummy and daddy sky high along with George."

That seemed to get her to move. She moved into her satchel, handing him the packet of tissues which she had as he mopped up the mess on his trousers, realising that they would stain. He looked over to her briefly as he did so and she continued to glare at him.

"That was clever," he commended her. "You've got brains. I'll give you that."

"You're not going to get away with this," she promised him and he chuckled once.

"I've never been caught yet," He drawled. "I doubt that you will change that."

...

A/N: Ah, he comes clean. Much more to come so thank you to everyone who has put this onto follow or favourite or who is just reading.

Many thanks to LivinJgrl123 and trudes193 for reviewing! Glad you're liking this as much as my other stories!

Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

"Bad things often happen to good people," Jackson whispered after two minutes of silence. Amelia had turned her attention to looking out of the window of the train, the sights passing her and blurring through her vision due to the speed. Jackson's eyes remained fully intent on her, making sure that she didn't do anything hasty which could ruin his mission. He had to admit, he hadn't expected her to pull the coffee trick on him. It had been rather refreshing to see someone fight back against him. "But, bad things do happen to bad people. Like your brother."

"My brother isn't a bad person," Amelia said whilst Jackson congratulated himself for evoking a reaction out of her. "George may be many things, but he's not a bad person."

"No," Jackson humoured her whilst rolling his eyes. "He's a saint, isn't he?"

"None of us are saints," Amelia snapped back. "He doesn't deserve to die and I'm not going to do it."

"Are you not?" Jackson rhetorically asked and pulled his own phone from his pocket, proceeding to write a text message whilst Amelia watched him. He placed the phone close to her eyes and she squinted, no idea what it said as she pulled her glasses from her satchel and dropped them onto the end of her nose. Three words were all it took for her stomach to commence its churning again. Blow it up. She pulled her glasses back off, placing them back into her bag and looking away from him to gulp.

"Now," Jackson drawled, "all I have to do is hit the send button and your little family barbeque really heats up."

"Why are you doing this?" Amelia asked him and he tried to resist the urge to yawn. The typical questions always bored him. Why are you doing this? Don't you have it in your heart to call this off? And every time he gave the same answer. It was his job and having a heart would do no one any good.

"Like I said," Jackson shrugged, placing his phone onto the tray which he had folded down again. Amelia watched as he placed it down, wondering how she could get it from him and destroy it so that he couldn't send any message. "I have a job to do, Ames. You won't understand."

"You've got that right," Amelia whispered, sitting back in the chair and plotting through her head. She couldn't make the call. She didn't want to make the call. She had to get off the train somehow. She had to get away from Jackson. "George is my brother. How can you expect me to call him?"

"Quite easily," Jackson nodded quickly at her. "You're entire family over your brother. The logic is simple, Amy. And your brother isn't as innocent as your little niece. Libby, isn't it? She's just started school. They're so adorable at that age," he cooed, the sarcasm leaking out of his voice whilst Amelia stared at him and he glared back at her, shaking his head once at her as he did so. "I can see why this is hard for you, but it doesn't need to be."

"Not if you call this off," Amelia replied harshly and he chuckled, sitting back and looking to the ceiling as he did so.

"If only it was that simple," he mumbled.

"So what are you really?" Amelia asked him, diverting the conversation and buying her time to crumple that phone of his. If she got rid of that then she'd be fine. She'd figure something out.

"It's none of your business," he drawled, his voice eerily soft as Amelia lifted her gaze up from the phone and back onto him, trying not to make her movements seem suspicious.

"I'm also guessing that you don't like Jane Eyre," she randomly chuckled and Jackson looked over to her and she slapped a hand against her forehead and rubbed along the pale skin and the dusty fringe which covered it. He arched a brow, grinning in amusement as he did so.

"I read half of it in high school and then watched the film," he admitted to her in a whisper. "If that makes you hate me even more."

"It doesn't help your case," she simply whispered to him and the grin remained fixed on his plump lips whilst she shook her head to herself. "What has George done?"

"He's been buying and selling to some very illegal people. People you wouldn't want to mess with," Jackson mumbled back to her. "I'd tell you more, but, I'd hate to scare you even more with the knowledge that your big brother isn't who he said he was."

"Turns out a lot of people are like that," Amelia muttered and glared back to him and his lips fell into a thin line as he shrugged at her, not caring that he lied to her about his occupation. She really wasn't his concern.

"I'd love to debate with you all day," Jackson told her, his eyes shifting from side to side before settling back onto her dull green eyes. "I do have a job to do."

"You said I had ten minutes to digest," she told him and he nodded, checking his watch as the time ticked down and he resisted the urge to scoff. "I think that I have thirty seconds left."

"Make that one minute," Jackson told her. "I'm feeling generous."

Amelia looked across as the man taking the tickets came down the aisle and he stopped at where Amelia and Jackson were sat, playing on the machine which he had before he looked at the pair of them.

"Tickets please," he spoke politely and Amelia lifted her satchel onto her lap before placing it onto Jackson's fold up tray, scrummaging through it as Jackson moved his hand into his pocket. Amelia raised her shaking hand, picking up the phone which he had and slowly dropping it into her free hand, slipping it into her pocket before she stood up.

"It's in here somewhere," she assured the ticket man whilst Jackson rolled his eyes at her search through her bag and he snatched it from her, pushing his tray up and she remained stood up, looking at the gap in between his knees and the seat in front of him. She could make it out.

"Here," Jackson said, handing her ticket to him. Oddly it had been on the top of her belongings, right where she could find it.

"I need to use the toilet," she informed him as he held her bag on his lap and she tried to scoot forwards as the ticket man continued to move down the coach. He looked at her as he trapped her in, his arm resting on the seat in front of her and stopping her from moving out.

"I've got forty seconds to digest," Amelia reminded him. "I need to use the toilet. Give me my bag."

"I don't think so," Jackson scoffed. "Don't you have a bottle in here?"

"Ugh," she hissed. "I'm not peeing in a bottle. Now, move," she demanded, her voice low as he stood up from his seat, his hands moving into his pockets as she moved onto the aisle and his hand snaked around her wrist, pulling her body close to his whilst he looked down at her.

"You've got one minute," he drawled into her ear. "Don't do anything stupid."

Amelia snatched her wrist from his fingers, rushing down to the end of the coach where the small toilet was situated. She waited for a second for someone to come out before rushing into it and beginning to shut the door. But, something blocked her way. She looked down and saw his foot there as she pushed against the door. He was stronger, winning the fight as she felt her body being flung backwards and onto the closed toilet seat as he locked the door.

"What did I tell you?" he wondered, pulling her up again, his hands moving into her pockets as he searched for his missing phone. She fought against him as he finally found it in her blouse pocket, his hand mercilessly moving down to the front of her chest as he pulled it out and chuckled to himself.

"Well, that was clever of you. Really, I've never had anyone like you at all," he told her and she glared at him as he tucked the pone away. "You're testing my patience. I may just kill everyone regardless of you doing what I ask."

"You wouldn't."

"Like I said," Jackson hissed, his hair falling from out behind his ears as his hand squeezed onto the bottom of her chin and he pressed her body against the closed door. "You shouldn't test me. I've told you before and I won't tell you again."

"Get off of me," she spat, thumping at his chest and he did as she had asked, releasing his hold on her and stepping back.

"You've got another couple of minutes to clean up," he said to her in a low and commanding voice. "Can't say I've ever had a quickie on a train before."

Amelia heard the door slam before she locked it again, looking at herself in the mirror and taking a deep breath, her feeble attempt to calm herself before she tucked her askew blouse back into her skirt and wondered what to do. There was no point in crying. Crying wouldn't achieve anything. She needed a way to outsmart him. Strength was his advantage and it seemed brains were too. What could she do on a train? How could she escape him? There had to be a way. Slowly, she unlocked the door and stepped out before moving down the aisle to her seat, not noticing as people watched her. Jackson stood up from his seat, motioning for her to take the window seat. His hand unconsciously moved onto the small of her back as he pushed her back to her seat.

"Have you had chance to think about what you did?" he asked her and she nodded before he rummaged through her satchel, dragging her BlackBerry out and playing with it, finding George's number with his picture next to it. He locked it once again and took to glancing through everything else in her satchel. A magazine, purse containing multiple credit cards and store cards along with a photo of her and her niece.

"I take it that this is Libby?" he checked, showing her the photo and Amelia nodded. He looked down at it, seeing how the elder woman held the little girl around the waist as she giggled into the camera and her aunt kissed her cheek. How he was seeing a different side to her now. "See, Amelia. It is pretty simple. You make the call and your family are none the wiser."

"And I get to spend the rest of my life knowing that I killed my own brother?"

"You technically won't kill him," he told her, looking back at the photo before closing her purse and placing it back into her bag, finding out the diary she kept which contained all her appointments. "You just send him to his death and then next week...you can go to...the Ivory...like planned here."

Amelia looked as he glanced through her schedule and she took to looking back out of the window.

"That dinner has been cancelled," she simply muttered. "The restaurant won't be ready in time."

"Shame," Jackson said; the sarcasm still in his voice as he did so. "One phone call, Amy. That's all it will take."

"I can't."

"No, you can," Jackson hissed. "You just won't."

"I could scream," Amelia threatened him and he rolled his eyes. How many times had they spoken like this before? "I could scream at the top of my lungs."

"You could," he agreed, flashing his phone in her direction for a moment as he leant over to talk to her, dropping her satchel onto the floor as his hand rested on her thigh. She continued to watch him as he leered in closer to her. "But, the moment you open your mouth then I hit send and you go home to ruins. Do you understand me?"

"You're sick," Amelia informed him and he shook his head, placing his own phone back into his jacket.

"I'm not," he promised her. "I do what I need to so that I can survive. Much like everyone else in this world."

"You're different to anyone else I've met," Amelia assured him.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he snapped, tired of playing games with her as he placed her phone in between their faces. "Now, make the call."

...

A/N: Thank you once again to trudes193 and LivinJgrl123 for reviewing, it's okay about the review on the previous chapter! I know how annoying computers can be when they don't work!

Anyway, thank you to anyone who is bothering to read and I hope that you'll let me know what you think so far, more to come soon!


	4. Chapter 4

Jackson watched as Amelia avoided his gaze, looking out of the window instead of at him as he held her BlackBerry in his hands, wondering whether or not if he should just text her brother for himself. But, the issue with texts were that they weren't a good indication of what a person would do. He needed her to phone him to make sure that he understood. But, the way she was going made it difficult.

He'd been patient, he had to admit that. He'd sat and listened to her as she sobbed and he'd even allowed his hand to roam up and down her skirt covered thigh, his feeble attempt to soothe her before he laid into her again. She'd stiffened at the contact of his hand on her body, shuddering and then relaxing her limbs back into her seat, too emotionally drained to fight against him as he gave her some more time.

She knew that she didn't have too much of it left though. She was sure he'd get tired of waiting for her to stop sobbing. Even she was tired of her sobs. They were muffled and quiet, no one hearing them except for the man next to her who seemed intent on destroying her.

"I'm afraid that time is up, Ames," Jackson whispered, his hand moving off of her body before grabbing the back of her head, tilting her body to face him as he pressed the phone into her hand tightly, unlocking it to show George's face and number staring up at her. She looked down at it as Jackson's other hand moved onto her cheek, bringing her gaze back onto his eyes and she whimpered at the contact, glaring at him as she did so.

"Call George and then we can spend the rest of the journey sitting here and drinking coffee, okay?" Jackson spoke and Amelia wondered if he ever eased up on the sarcasm. She doubted it. "I'm a patient man, Amy. I really am. But, you've already tested me enough today. I don't want it to end like this."

"I'd rather you just kill me," Amelia drawled to him and he shook his head.

"Your death isn't a part of my task," he told her, sitting back in his seat and turning his head to look at her. "Besides, you're far too pretty to kill."

"If I phone him," Amelia spoke in a hypothetical tone. "Will you get rid of the bomb?"

"My man outside will deactivate it," he told her. "You have my word on that."

"Funnily enough, your word doesn't mean anything," Amelia spat back to him and he grinned, vaguely amused with the spirit inside of her. It did make a nice change from the blubbering women and men who did as he had asked straight away. Yet, he knew that she would crack. Her family were on the line. It would only be natural for her to give into his demands.

"Look, I like you, Ames," Jackson said and he saw her eyes close as she looked away from him, gulping audibly at that piece of information. "I sympathise with any tragic emotion which you're feeling now, I really do. But, this won't help save anyone, will it?"

Amelia took a second to calm her breathing before looking back at him and then onto the LED board which hung from the ceiling, informing them that the next stop was five minutes away. Perhaps she had a choice. She nodded once at Jackson, thinking about her plan whilst he watched her with his wide eyes, smiling softly as she held her hand out to take the phone from his grasp.

"Good," he spoke lightly. "I knew that you'd come around. Very sensible thing to do."

"Just give me the phone," Amelia hissed and took it from him, holding it to her ear as she called her brother. She willed for him not to pick up. It wouldn't be her fault if he didn't answer his cell, would it? Surely Jackson wouldn't do anything then. He could put it down to bad luck, though something inside of Amelia told her that he didn't deal with bad luck. He made his own way in life, regardless of the consequences.

"Amy!" George shrieked down the phone after the sixth ring and Jackson continued to stare at her with his powerful gaze, making sure that she did as she was told.

"Hey, George," she spoke back, trying not cry as she did so.

"I've just got off the plane," he told her. "I'm telling you, Seattle looks like it never changes. Are you at mom and dad's yet?"

"No, not yet," Amelia spoke back to him. "I'm on the train on the way. They...well...they said that they have been trying to get hold of you...but you wouldn't pick up."

"I've just got off the flight," George replied, looking around the arrival's lounge for his case to come off of the plane. Amelia nodded again at him before she looked at Jackson for a moment, almost cracking under the look which he was giving her.

"That makes sense," Amelia mumbled. "Look, George, they phoned me and told me to meet them at Marco's...you know...the Italian in town?"

"Yeah," George said, seeing his case and rushing forwards for it whilst Amelia noted the arrival time for the next station was in two minutes. Time was running out. Quickly, she looked at Jackson again and then nodded. "I know it."

"Right, well, meet there, okay? I'll see you in a couple of hours to join you for drinks," Amelia said.

"Okay, look, I've got to go, Amy," he hurriedly spoke back to her. "My case is coming. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, bye, George," Amelia said and she hung up on her brother, pressing the red phone on her BlackBerry before she looked at Jackson who was smiling at her with his perfect white teeth and he nodded.

"Well done," he congratulated her. "See, that wasn't hard, was it?"

"No," Amelia agreed with him, dropping her phone back into her pocket whilst Jackson looked at her and she began to stand up, staring at him as she paled quickly. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Give me your phone," Jackson demanded from her before moving and she ground her teeth together, pulling it back from her pocket and passing it to him and he dropped it into his own pocket, nodding once at her as he moved out of her way and watched her make it down towards the toilet. Amelia could see the door from where she stood as the train gradually slowed down, the platform coming into view through the glass doors as people began to move about the coach.

Jackson remained stood in the aisle as Amelia pretended to queue for the toilet and his eyes glanced around as people slowly stirred and moved and the intercom rang out, informing them that they had reached Mendocino. Jackson's eyes locked onto Amelia's and he shook his head as the doors suddenly parted and she rushed forwards, pushing past people to jump onto the platform. Jackson shook his head, quickly grabbing onto the seats in front of him and pushing past people until he moved onto the platform and looked around, his eyes dangerously scanning for her until he saw her running down the platform to the main building.

Jackson shook his head, bolting after her whilst people watched him with wonder as to what he was running for. Amelia moved into the train station building, looking around for someone safe before she saw the women's toilets. She jumped inside of the toilets, looking around for someone, but, it was empty. The entire building seemed empty. It looked as if their train was the last one in the station.

She gulped once, looking at her reflection in the mirror before the door opened and her heat lunged in her chest.

"Oh thank God," Amelia said when she saw a woman walk in and she looked at her with worry whilst Amelia stood by the door, blocking anyone else from coming in. "Miss...please can I borrow your phone...it's an emergency."

The woman in black looked hesitantly at Amelia as she drew her phone from her purse.

"Are you okay?" she asked Amy who shook her head, taking the phone and dialling for her parent's house.

"No...but, I will be...thanks..." Amelia hastily said, holding the phone to her ear and willing her parent's to pick up.

"Hello, Drayton house," her niece's voice came over the phone and Amelia sighed.

"Hey, Libby, it is Aunty Amy. Can you get your grandma for me?"

"Gran'ma is busy," Libby said slowly and Amy vaguely heard her mother call Libby's name, asking her who was calling when Libby shouted back Aunty Amy. Her mother sighed but rubbed her hands on the tea towel, taking the phone from her granddaughter's hands.

"Amelia, what is it? I'm busy at the moment," her mother snapped gently. "Please tell me you're going to get here on time."

"No...I'm not...look...mom, I need you to get everyone out of the house and call the police. There is a bomb in the backyard," Amelia hastily said and her mother tutted down the phone at hearing her daughter, shaking her head.

"Amy, what are you talking about?" her mother worried and Amelia paced up and down the bathroom.

"Mom, get everyone out of the house. Trust me on this. I can't explain it at the moment but there's a man...he's...he's planted a bomb in the garden...you need to get everyone out."

"You're worrying me, Amy," her mother said and Amelia pushed her hair behind her shoulders whilst her hands shook along with her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"No, mom!" Amelia snapped down the phone. "Just get out of the house!"

"Okay," her mother replied, fear rising in her body.

"And one more thing," she spoke. "George...he's going to Marco's...you need to stop him...tell him to go anywhere but there..."

"What is going on, Amelia?" her mother worried. "Where are you sweetie?"

"Just do it, mom, please?" Amelia pleaded.

"Okay. Okay, I'm doing it," her mother said and Amelia hung up, handing the phone back to the woman whose jaw seemed to hit the floor at what she had just heard. She took her phone, dropping it into her purse whilst Amelia peered out from the door, wondering if he was looking around.

"A bomb?" the woman asked her. "There's a bomb at your house?"

"It's a long story," Amelia drawled, knowing that she couldn't hide in the toilet forever. She'd done her job. She'd told her mother to get out; she only hoped that she listened to her quickly.

"Look, are you sure that you're okay?" the woman asked and Amelia gritted her teeth together. She just wished that people would stop asking her that question.

Quickly, she moved from the toilet, leaving the woman in a wondering state whilst she walked back through the building, her eyes looking around for any sign of him as she walked quickly to the exit, wondering if the train had left. She could jump back on it and leave. He'd be left there and she'd be gone. Trains were normally stationed for quite some time.

Amelia picked up the pace, walking back to the platform which seemed deserted and she moved to the train.

"Nice little trick," his sudden voice called out and his hand was gripping her elbow as she moved to the train and he dragged her along. Amelia looked up to him as his eyes remained fixed on the train. "You really are testing me, aren't you?"

"Either that or you're not very good at your job," she whispered back to him and his hand dropped down to the small of her back, pushing her back onto the train and coach three.

"Where have you been?" he asked her, finding it odd that she would bolt from the train and then go back onto it. And then he took a moment to think. "You tried to play me, didn't you?" he checked with a low growl in her ear. "You got off, knowing that I'd follow you and then you got back on thinking that you could lose me."

"Didn't work though, did it?" she hissed as he pushed her back down into her seat and sat beside her. "And now your little plan is ruined."

"What are you talking about?" Jackson hissed and she smirked at him with cockiness.

"I called my mom. She's getting everyone out of the house and telling George to get away from Marco's." She drawled and Jackson's brow furrowed together as he glared at her and she sunk back against the wall as the train began to depart once again. "You've lost this one."

"Really?" Jackson replied before checking his phone which just bleeped. They'd evacuated the house and the police were on their way. His glare seemed to heat up even more if that was possible and he looked at Amelia with disgust.

"Really," she confirmed and he sighed once, closing his eyes and then looking to her.

"Looks like I'll have to go to Plan B," he replied and Amelia gulped, the grin wiped from her face as she listened to him. "Stealing you."

...

A/N: Once again thanks to trudes193 and LivinJgrl123 for reviewing!

Let me know what you all think!


	5. Chapter 5

"I have to admit that I am impressed," Jackson nodded as he ordered himself another coffee with the knowledge that there would be another two hours before he and Amelia left the train. The young woman remained silent, listening to Jackson as he slurped on his coffee and nodded to himself, still amazed with how she had managed the impossible. She'd outsmarted him this far. She'd done everything which she could think of to keep him from hurting those close to her. Of course, she failed to remember that the feeling would be reciprocated by her family members.

Amelia continued to stare out the window, the views of the ocean were breathtaking, and she couldn't deny that. And on any other day she would have sat there, dreamily looking out and onto the sights, admiring them in their natural beauty. But, her mind was elsewhere, thinking to her family and hoping that they were safe. Nothing could have worried her more at that moment in time.

"You see, I'm not a bad guy," Jackson told her and she looked at him sceptically with her brow arched and he shook his head. "I'm not," he continued and ripped open the sugar sachet, tipping the small grains into the liquid, concentrating on that instead of on her gaze. "I mean, you met me at the station. You knew that, didn't you?"

"Turns out that was an act though, doesn't it?" Amelia hissed back at him and he shrugged at her.

"In this case, yes," he confirmed. "All I'm saying is that I would have been nice if you played my game. You know that, Amy."

"Can you stop it with the nicknames?" she complained to him and he chuckled and sipped on his drink once again whilst she picked up the bottle of water which he had bought her from her satchel.

"Not if it bothers you that much," he replied. "Look, I have a job to do and you're not making it easy for me even though it will be completed, regardless of how much you fight me."

"What's Plan B?" she asked him and he looked at her with hesitation held in those blue eyes and she shrugged at him. "It's not like I can escape now, is it?"

"Fine," Jackson agreed. "Plan B is getting your brother to come to us. Well, we tell him that you've been kidnapped send him to one place, hold you in the other and then that's that. It's more risky, but it seems that it is necessary."

"You're going to lure him out," Amelia clarified and Jackson nodded at her.

"We wouldn't need to if you didn't ruin the plan," he scoffed at her and she turned to look at the elderly couple which were sat on the opposite side of the aisle as they bickered about which sandwich was whose. How Amelia wished her problems were that tame. "So you're going to be the bait."

"What makes you think that I won't run as soon as we reach Portland?" Amelia asked him and he shook his head, looking down onto his entwined fingers on his lap whilst she waited for him to respond to her question.

"You run," he drawled dangerously, "then I find you. I have my man waiting outside the station and if he sees you leave without me then he'll not be so hesitant to apprehend you, Ames. And he won't be as nice as I am now."

"Oh yes," Amelia snorted to herself, "because you're a real gentleman."

"There aren't many of them around anymore, Amelia," he spat. "We're not in your Jane Eyre novel now."

Amelia turned back to her staring out of the window whilst Jackson rested back in his seat, admiring the view as he passed too, his eyes occasionally glancing onto the woman he was keeping hostage and studying her face for a few moments. She'd stopped with the crying, she probably realised that it wasn't going to do her any good and her shoulders had stopped shaking. Her hands were clasped together, resting in her lap and holding themselves together to stop their jittery movements. Jackson didn't allow his eyes to linger far too much. He was always reminding himself that they were nothing more than the target. They were a job which he got paid for. Becoming attached to anyone was not an option and he knew it.

He also knew that his neck was on the line if his plan didn't go through all the way and succeed.

Amelia occasionally went into her bag, checking that she had everything for when the train stopped. Jackson kept hold of her phone in his pocket along with his device, holding it tightly to him as he text his man to say that the train was on its way in. He waited for a couple of moments but received no reply. Jackson frowned, calling his man, but there was no answer. From experience, Jackson knew that this was unprecedented. He could sense that something wasn't entirely right with what was happening.

The train slowed to a halt and Amelia stood up and Jackson grabbed her case down from the overhead compartment before slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"You're to stay with me, understand?" he checked with Amelia who nodded. She walked slowly by his side, wondering if her parents would be at the station to meet her. She was sure that they would have phoned her, but, he'd taken her phone from her, keeping it to himself whilst she looked around, hoping to see their faces. Yet, there was no luck as Jackson grabbed hold of her hand, making sure that she didn't leave him. She struggled to keep up with his long strides as he looked around, always on his guard in case he saw something which he didn't like the look of.

Once outside, Amelia saw a police officer chatting to another one as they sipped on lattes and she thought about brushing Jackson off. His tight grip and death glare told her otherwise and she allowed him to lead her outside onto the street where cabs lined up, willing to take you anywhere you needed to go.

Jackson looked around for the man who was supposed to be picking them up. His eyes locked onto everyone who passed, but, there was nothing.

"Something isn't right," he mumbled to himself and Amelia looked at him, her hand sweating inside of his and he hailed a cab, realising that he needed to leave the station. The driver jumped out the cab and walked around to the pavement, popping the lid open as Jackson handed him his bag and left Amelia's case on the sidewalk, bundling her into the backseat with ungraceful movements.

And then Jackson noted the device sticking out of the man's pocket. The gun was clear as day and Jackson wasn't going to let him gain the upper hand as he dumped Amelia's case into the trunk.

"Jackson Rippner, right?" he checked, the two men locking eye contact as he slammed the boot shut. Jackson stood tall, watching as he moved for the gun in his pocket and Jackson reached for it at the same time, tousling with him as a shot echoed throughout the street.

Amelia turned around in her seat, looking out of the window as she felt the car suddenly bounce downwards and she saw the two men leant on the edge of it, their hands entwined as they fought for control of the device. Confusion struck in her mind as shot went off and she instantly ducked down further, her breathing deepening and her chest convulsing. Jackson had never shown her any violence with a weapon and it looked like he didn't carry one on him.

Rippner continued his tousle as another shot sounded and he quickly freed one of his hands, forming a fist and punching the man in the nose before kicking him to the floor, grabbing his gun and then ducking around the cab to the driver's side as more men rushed from the terminal, guns firing onto the cab as Jackson noted Amelia in the back seat, her face red and flushed.

He quickly opened the door, throwing the gun onto the back seat.

"Use this if you have to," he demanded her and she picked it up, looking at it and fiddling around with it as she pointed it at the seat before it suddenly went off. She screamed loudly as the bullet made a hole in the worn out leather and Jackson started the cab.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded from her as he released the clutch.

"I don't know how to use this thing!" Amelia hollered back at him and he rolled his eyes, joining the line of traffic as he looked at her in the rear view mirror.

"Just stay down," he barked and she slumped downwards in her seat whilst Jackson rubbed his hand on his forehead and focused on driving recklessly, leaving Amelia feeling nauseous in the back of the cab.

He shook his head, thinking about what had just happened as Amelia sat back up, leaning forwards as she glared at Jackson.

"What was that about?" she snapped and he sighed and shrugged to her.

"I think that I didn't get the chance to carry out Plan B," he informed her and she looked at him with confusion.

"What does that mean?"

Jackson hesitated, wondering if he should tell her what it meant. She was in this as deeply as he was. He supposed it couldn't hurt to tell her.

"It seems my firm realised that I didn't do my job. Your brother didn't go to Marco's and your family evacuated before anything could happen. Plan A failed and the firm now believe that I need to be taken care of and they're going to do the job themselves," he informed her, smacking his hands against the leather of the steering wheel in frustration. "Damn it, all they had to do was wait another hour. I had a backup plan. I could have done this!"

"So...what...what does that mean?" Amelia worried as she watched him intently. "They're going to kill you for failing?"

"Not just me," he spoke back quickly. "They'll finish your brother off for themselves before coming after me and you."

"Me?" Amelia snapped. "I don't know anything!"

"You know enough," Jackson warned her and she bit down on her tongue, trying to stop herself from yelling at him as he joined the highway and kept on going, not sure where he was going to end up. "The firm don't allow survivors, Amelia."

"Bloody Hell!" she snapped at him, thumping at his back as he tried not to swerve the car whilst trying to bat her off of him.

"Hey!" Jackson snapped back. "Pack it in! Jesus Christ, Amelia!"

"Why couldn't you just go away?" she roared at him. "Why did you have to do this to me?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm in trouble, too." He snapped back. "If you had just done as I had asked in the first place then we wouldn't be in this mess."

"So it's my fault?" she roared, her voice full of outrage whilst Jackson shrugged.

"You didn't help matters, did you?" he replied to her and she leant back in her seat.

"Stop the car," she demanded him.

"I can't," he replied. "We're on a highway and if you go out there alone then you'll be dead with an hour."

"Better dead then stuck with you. I can explain that I don't know anything, anyway."

Jackson chuckled at hearing that, shaking his head in disbelief as he did so. "You honestly think that they're going to listen to you?" he asked her. "They'll shoot you the moment they find you. You're not going anywhere so pipe down. You're giving me a headache."

"Ass," Amelia simply spat at him and he rolled his eyes. "Why do you care what happens to me?"

"I don't," he snapped back. "I just thought that you'd like to stay alive."

Amelia didn't reply to that. Of course she wanted to stay alive. Just not in the company of Jackson Rippner.

"As I thought," Jackson mumbled. "You should sleep. We're going to be travelling all night."

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know. As far away from Seattle as possible."

"Can I call my parents?"

"I don't think so," Jackson chuckled. "You risk telling them about me and I can't have that. No one can know where we are."

"You keep saying we an awful lot," Amelia mumbled and Jackson didn't respond; his eyes too focused on the road ahead of him whilst Amelia sighed, realising that the conversation was over.

It wasn't long before she found herself sleeping on the backseat, the gun by her side on the floor as Jackson looked into his mirror, seeing her silent state before his eyes went back onto the road and he wondered what he'd done.


	6. Chapter 6

Amelia groaned as she lifted her head up from the seat, her hand resting onto her forehead as it began to pound and she winced as the sunlight streamed into her line of vision. How long had she been asleep? And where the hell was she? She tried to recall what had happened as her eyes landed on the man in the front seat who was driving, his eyes focused on the road ahead whilst she sat up groggily and his eyes met with hers in the rear view mirror.

"You're awake," he commented and she dangled her legs down the bench, her feet touching the floor as she looked around her.

"Where are we?" she grumbled.

"I 84-East," he explained. "The road to Texas."

"Texas?" Amelia checked and he nodded at her as she sunk back in her seat, shaking her head back and forth as she did so, unable to believe where they were heading. The road was quiet, no traffic to be seen for miles as Jackson remained totally concentrated, nothing distracting him as he made his way down the road. "How long have we been driving?"

"About eight hours," Jackson told her, not sure if he had to be honest. He didn't have a set location. Anything away from Portland would do for him. Amelia shook her head, seeing the bags under his eyes as she did so whilst he squinted from the sun.

"Jackson," she whispered his name, "have you slept?"

"No," he replied and she rolled her eyes, hitting him on the shoulders as he glared onto the road. "I've told you not to hit me."

"You must be exhausted," she spoke and his jaw slackened slightly, tension relieving in him as she looked at him and his eyes widened in mocking sentiment.

"I never knew you cared," he told her and she snorted loudly.

"I don't," she assured him. "I do care about this car staying on the road and when you look like crap then I can't see that happening."

Amelia slowly raised her legs onto her seat, her bum resting on the bench which Jackson was sat at before he looked at her questioningly, his eyes instantly moving to where her skirt had rode up and he watched as she settled herself down next to him.

"Let me drive," she demanded and he scoffed, looking at her with his tilted head before he shook it back and forth.

"And let you drive us all the way back to Portland whilst I sleep?" he asked her rhetorically. "I don't think so."

"Well I don't want to die on some route," she snapped and he remained looking out the front window as she moved closer to him and he yawned. "You're ready to fall asleep any moment you big idiot. Let me drive."

"Like I said," Jackson drawled out, glaring at her again. "I don't think so."

"Fine, you asked for this," Amelia warned him and he watched her with wonder as she slowly sided closer to him, finally hoisting herself from the seat and settling herself onto his lap, her hands resting on the wheel whilst Jackson looked around her body.

"What the hell are you doing?" he snapped at her as she tried to force his feet from the gas and she managed to prise his hands from the wheel.

"Getting you to move, you moron!" she yelled back and Jackson shook his head, juggling her about in his lap before it became apparent that she wasn't moving. Muttering under his breath, he moved her from his body so that she was in the driving seat and he sat close to her, making sure she couldn't pull any tricks as she checked the gas level.

"Did you fill up?"

"Whilst you were sleeping," Jackson mumbled, opening the glove box and pulling a packet of cookies which he'd managed to buy with the money he'd stolen from her purse seeing as how he'd dropped his wallet during his run.

"And you made a picnic," Amelia drawled and his look silenced her as he popped a biscuit into his mouth and he watched her as she looked back at him, her brow raised with expectation.

"Do you want one?" he asked her, pushing one out of the pocket and handing it to her. She took a bite from it and nodded once in approval at the chocolate chips. She had to admit that she felt slightly dirty. She hadn't brushed her teeth, combed her hair or changed her clothes in twenty four hours. And now she was on the run with some hit man.

"Can I phone my parents?" she asked him and he shook his head.

"Your BlackBerry is dead," he told her. "So is my phone."

"I can use a pay phone if we pull in somewhere."

"What part of no don't you understand?" he asked her and she gritted her teeth together whilst he looked out the front window and the meter which was still running for the cab service. Anyone would need a second mortgage to cover the bill to that thing. "Calling your parents isn't an option. They could trace where we are which could then lead my firm to us. Do you want that?"

"I want to go home," Amelia said, sounding like a petulant little child as Jackson chuckled once, looking out the window as she continued to drive.

"Let's just say you don't have a home for now," he told her. "The best I can do is let you talk to your parents for thirty seconds on a pay phone. They can't trace you in that amount of time. You let them know you're safe and that's all. Understand?"

"Understood," Amelia hastily agreed with him, biting down on her lip as Jackson shook his head. He was going soft in his outlawed state. He supposed it might stop her from whining which would do his head some good.

"Jackson," she said his name again and he looked at her, wishing for peace and quiet as he did so. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Do you have to?" he wondered back and she nodded.

"Why didn't you just leave me?"

"Did you want to be left to die?"

"No."

"Well there you go then."

"That's not answering my question," Amelia complained to him. "Why did you bring me?"

Jackson took a moment to think about that. It would have been easier without having her as baggage; he had to admit it to himself. But, it had been a spur of the moment decision to bundle her into the cab and drive off with her. He could have chucked her out at any given moment. Yet there she was. Driving the cab in the opposite direction she wanted to go, her mind askew with everything which had happened.

"It certainly wasn't your charm which persuaded me," Jackson snorted, closing his eyes for a moment, a feeling of peace coming over him as Amelia scoffed at hearing that come from his lips.

"You're not exactly Prince Charming," she reminded him, realising that he wasn't going to give her an answer. Maybe there was no answer to what he had done. She didn't understand it herself. She could demand for him to let her go. He'd told her what would happen, but she'd be without his snide comments and company. She could have stopped the car and got out. She didn't. She kept on driving in the direction which she was supposed to go.

Her eyes danced across to Jackson as he seemed to slowly settled into a slumber and she reached for another cookie before she heard him mumble;

"Don't eat all of them."

...

A/N: Just a little filler chapter so to speak. Anyhow, thank you to LndsyElizabth and trudes193 for reviewing!


	7. Chapter 7

"Jackson," Amelia nudged the man after two hours of silence and continuous driving on her part. He'd dozed off into some sort of sleep, awaking every now and then to check that everything was still correct. It seemed that he couldn't switch off. He opened his eyes as he felt her pointed elbow make contact with his ribs and he glowered in her direction, not best pleased that she'd awoken him again.

"What?" he mumbled to her.

"Can you get me my glasses out of my satchel? It is in the bag seat," she asked him and he rolled his eyes before stretching his hands out in front of him, lacing his fingers together as they cracked one by one and Amelia's jaw fell open as she looked back at him with disgust.

"Ew," she complained. "Don't do that. It's disgusting."

"Are your eyes hurting you?" Jackson wondered and Amelia shrugged once. They weren't really hurting. She just wanted some focus. "I'll take over for now."

"You've only had two hours. That is nowhere near sufficient enough time to regain your awareness and drive a car," she told him in a matter of fact voice and he looked at her, not too bothered if she wanted to drive. With a grumble escaping his lips, he placed the upper half of his body over the backseat, leaning down the grab her satchel. He placed it in between them, rummaging through the small make up bag, diary, magazine, receipts and pay cheques.

"Do you ever empty this bag?" he asked her and she shrugged.

"Sometimes," she replied. "It's been in a worse state compared to that, believe me."

"I can imagine," Jackson replied under his breath as he found out her glasses case and dumped her bag to his other side next to the door, leaving the glasses case on the seat beside her as he turned to look out the window.

"I can hardly put them on whilst driving," Amelia spoke to him, her voice coming across as crabby and Jackson gritted his teeth together, opening the case and pulling the black frames from them, opening them up and then handing them to her as she rested them onto the edge of her nose. She gave out a vague nod as her eyesight improved and then she sat up straight in the car, focusing on her driving and Jackson watched her.

"Pull into the next service station," he demanded her and she arched a brow. "We need gas soon and you can call your parents for thirty seconds max."

"We also need sleep," Amelia told him as she looked to the board for the next service station and she stayed in the far lane, waiting to make her escape from the long and straight road which was driving her mad.

"We work in shifts," Jackson told her simply. "We don't have time to stop."

"You're crazy," Amelia informed him. "It's a thirty five hour drive to Texas! We need some rest. How long do you think it will be until either one of us crashes?"

"If we stop then we become weak," he spoke simply to her and she groaned. "Besides, how do you suggest we pay for a motel room? Using your credit card isn't practical because they can trace it."

"Why do we have to use my credit card?" Amelia wondered.

"I dropped my wallet back in Portland," he complained, realising that it had everything he needed inside of it. He had really managed to mess things up this time. But, that came as no shock to him. The way this job was turning out made him realise that.

"So...how did you pay for the cookies?" Amelia suddenly wondered. "And the gas?"

"Luckily you're here," Jackson smiled sweetly at her and she scoffed at hearing that, shaking her head and leaning back in her seat slightly, her limbs feeling tight and pained as she moved. Glaring, she looked back at Jackson and shook her head at him.

"Fine. We'll park the car somewhere and sleep for a couple of hours. Neither of us look in a fit state to drive for another full day, do we?" Amelia complained and Jackson remained silent, hating to admit that she had a point as she pulled off from the highway and down a slip road until they reached a gas station.

It didn't look too busy and Jackson was thankful for that. Amelia grabbed her purse from her satchel and climbed from the car and onto the pavement as Jackson scrambled to the outside world, his arms rising above his head whilst Amelia pushed hers behind her back, yawning as she did so. She quickly pulled the fuel cap from her side and Jackson watched her intently as she pulled the nozzle into the cab and began to fill it with fuel.

Once she'd finished, the pair of them moved into the small shop and Amelia looked around, checking her purse for coins and notes and then moving down the chip aisle.

"What are you doing?" Jackson hissed in her ear, his hand instinctively holding onto her elbow as she picked up a large bag of Ready Salted chips and looked back at him.

"Well, I'm starving," she simply informed him. "So, I thought that I'd bring some food along. Okay?"

"Fine," Jackson said, releasing her blouse from his grip and she headed off to the refrigerator, grabbing a large bottle of water and then heading towards the cashier. Amelia handed the goods back to Jackson before finding out a small coin and moving across to the pay phone.

"Thirty seconds," Jackson reminded her.

"You keep saying," she mumbled as she inserted the coin into the slot and dialled for her parent's home. Jackson listened intently, his eyes never leaving Amelia's as no one picked up the phone. She sighed, placing it back onto the hook and Jackson noted the disappointment in her eyes.

"You can try again later," he told her. "Come on."

Amelia didn't argue with him, instead she followed him back to the car and jumped into the driving seat before he had a chance to do anything otherwise. She pulled the keys from her pocket and Jackson sat beside her, swigging down some of the water before handing it to her. She took it with a small nod and drank some before starting the engine and driving back onto the highway.

The two remained silent until it became clear that night was falling upon them and the coldness of the open space was becoming too much. Amelia pulled off the highway again, parking the car behind some cheap motel where they could stay hidden. Jackson watched, not saying anything to her as he had to admit that she picked quite an inconspicuous spot to hide in.

"I'm going to get my case from the boot," Amelia said and he nodded, realising that his bag may come in handy. A clean shirt was definitely called for. Amelia took to the back seat, opening her case and looking inside of it, pulling her toiletry bag out and finding her brush.

Jackson sat in the front, rummaging through his bag and seeing the clean linen before he began to unbutton his shirt, hanging his jacket over the bench in the car. And then he made the mistake of looking in the rear view mirror. Amelia had her body turned to the side as the material of her blouse dropped onto her lap and Jackson gulped once, trying to ignore what he was seeing as his hands pushed his hair behind his ears.

"What is that smell?" Jackson suddenly asked her.

"Hairspray," she mumbled and Jackson's brows furrowed together.

"Why are you using hairspray?" he asked her.

"My curls were losing their bounce," she whispered and Jackson chuckled as she slammed her case shut after using her makeup wipes to rid herself of the mascara which she wore.

"You're in the middle of a war zone and you're worried about your hair not bouncing?" he checked with her and she caught him looking at her in the rear view mirror as she straightened out the jumper which she had put on.

"It's something normal to do," Amelia said lightly. "God only knows that I need normality."

"Even by my standards that's odd," Jackson informed her and Amelia jumped back over the bench to the front seat as Jackson chucked his bag into the back.

"And we all know that your standards are odd in their own right," Amelia mumbled, curling into a ball on the seat whilst he watched her for a moment.

"Well, your hair looks perfectly fine," Jackson whispered and Amelia looked at him before he coughed into his hand once. "We'd best try to sleep. I've locked the doors so don't even think about trying to escape."

"I hadn't planned on it," she told him truthfully whilst he nodded once. Some part of him seemed to believe that she was telling the truth. Jackson closed his eyes, sitting upright and he felt how his body relaxed whilst Amelia watched him for a second, wondering how he could be at all comfortable sleeping like he was doing.

But, he wasn't sleeping. He was still awake and listening to Amelia as she remained looking out the window into the dark.

"You're cold," he stated and looked over to her again and she shook her head.

"I'm fine," she replied after a moment.

"That's the biggest lie which someone can tell someone else," Jackson replied to her and she shook her head whilst shrugging.

"Okay," she admitted to him. "I'm not exactly warm. It isn't like I packed anything warm though. I was heading off to LA."

"Well...take this..." he said, removing his black jacket from his shoulders and handing it to her and she shook her head, not feeling entirely comfortable with the idea. Jackson rolled his eyes at her hesitance.

"A bomb isn't inside of it," he drawled out to her and she looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Just take the jacket, Amelia," he insisted.

"You'll be cold."

"Believe me," he chuckled, "I'm a lot tougher than you."

"Fine," Amelia said and took his jacket from him, wrapping it around her own shoulders as she did so and inhaling the scent of his cologne.

Lazily, she curled her legs underneath her and rested her head against the bench and Jackson closed his eyes.

"This doesn't mean that I like you," she whispered as sleep came over her and Jackson peeled one eyelid back to look over to her.

"I know," he replied and then allowed sleep to take over him, only stirring when he felt the motion of her head drop against his upper arm.


	8. Chapter 8

The middle of the night soon came and Amelia realised that she couldn't hold it in any longer. She'd woken up to see her head resting on his arm and he was still stiff, but sleeping. She doubted relaxing was in his vocabulary. She'd been rather disturbed at first, the darkness engulfing them and the only light came from a small streetlight by the side of the motel which only just reached the hidden cab.

Amelia sat up, her limbs still numb as she dropped Jackson's jacket from her shoulders and tried to open the cab door. But, she had no luck. She sighed once, looking over to him before realising that she needed to wake him. Preparing for his crabby state was easy as she placed her hand onto his arm and shook it.

"Jackson," she whispered his name and his eyes opened instantly, becoming accustomed to the sights around him.

"What?" he hissed.

"I need to use the bathroom," she complained and he rolled his eyes, shifting in his seat as he did so. He stretched quickly, his head pushing to the side to loosen his neck.

"You'll need to use the dumpsters over there," he spoke to her and she made them out a few metres away, looking revolted as Jackson shook his head, assuring her there was no room for negotiation. "You're not going inside anywhere. Everything is locked up and your face is probably all over the news by now. I can't risk anyone seeing you."

"Jesus," Amelia complained, picking up the tissues from her bag as she did so, glaring at him as he unlocked the cab doors. "So you expect me to go to the side of some bins and squat?" she checked and he nodded.

"Got it in one," he said lazily and she shoved the car door open, moving over to the bins over the sandy dirt lane, almost tripping over the stones due to her heels. She reached the bin and looked around, making sure she was hidden from view before she lifted her skirt up, bunching it in her hands until it came to her waist. She groaned once before realising that she should just get it over with.

Jackson remained seated in the cab, unable to see Amelia as she went to hide behind a dumpster and he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, feeling emotionally drained as he thought about where he was going. His safe house was in Texas. The fake passport, ID, money was all there. No one knew about it. Not even the firm. He figured he had to something as a backup plan. Once he reached there then he would leave Amelia. She couldn't tag along with him whilst he was on the run. He was sure that the firm would kill her. He supposed she may get away with her life if she convinced them to spare her. It was a rare thing, but not unknown.

Jackson was suddenly interrupted from his thoughts as a crashing noise was heard and he remained frozen, wondering what it was before he climbed from the car, following Amelia's footprints in the sand to the dumpster she was hidden behind.

"Try not to make a noise," he hissed, looking at her before following her gaze to the dumpster where something sat, scouring through the rubbish. He rolled his eyes, noting that it was a fox and Amelia looked petrified of it.

And then he saw her for the first time. Her panties were protecting her modesty, yet the same could not be said for her skirt. Jackson coughed once and she looked at him before she caught his gaze on her backside and she quickly pulled her skirt back down haughtily, managing to fix it in place as he grinned, vaguely amused.

"It's a fox, Amelia," he mumbled. "You don't need to look so scared."

"Won't it attack?" she wondered, backing away to stand by Jackson's side and he shook his head.

"Not unless it feels threatened," he mumbled, turning on his heel. "Come on."

Amelia turned, her feet moving too quick for her as the heel of one shoe caught on the heel of the other and she lost her balance, bumping into Jackson who watched as she toppled to the floor, a gasp escaping her lips as he grinned once again.

"Tonight really isn't going in your favour, is it?" Jackson spoke, one hand moving into his pocket and the other bending down to help her. Amelia took it from him, allowing his cold hands to haul her to her feet as she glared at him.

"The past two days haven't been going in my favour," she barked back and he pressed a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.

"You'll wake the residents," he said and she rolled her eyes, tempted to bite his hand as his other arm snaked around her waist, holding her body flush against his as he glared at her. "You need to keep quiet. Do you understand me?"

"Jesus," Amelia spoke from under his hand. "I doubt there's anyone even staying in this crap hole."

Jackson struggled to make out what she said from underneath his hand before he gave his blue orbs another roll and continued to glower at her.

"Regardless," he hissed, "keep your voice down."

His hands instantly left her body and he made his way back to the cab and Amelia followed him, resuming her previous place and dropping her tissues back into her bag before finding out her hand sanitizer and squirting it onto her palms. Jackson watched her with vague amusement, wondering what else was in her Mary Poppins sized satchel.

"We may as well carry on driving," Jackson suddenly said after he checked his watch, just about making out the time to be four in the morning. "The sun will be coming up soon and I want to be on the way."

"You're driving then," Amelia told him, finding his jacket and wrapping it back around her. The way she looked at it was that she was cold. His jacket was available and he didn't care. It made perfect sense. Jackson managed to find the highway again as Amelia took to sleeping, her light snores echoing through the cab and keeping her awake as Jackson remained determined to get to Texas by nightfall.

Amelia awoke every now and then, watching Jackson drive until she decided to take over just before they reached Texas. He could deal with driving when they reached the city. Her glasses remained securely on her eyes and her bangs pushed to the sides so that they didn't get in her way or annoy her. Jackson didn't sleep; instead he stared out the window, wishing for time to fly until they got there.

Eventually, his wish came true and they swapped places again, Jackson driving steadily until he reached the safe house which he owned. Well, it was an apartment to be precise. Situated in Austin. He abandoned the cab on the sidewalk and grabbed his bag from the backseat and handed Amelia her case as they reached the sidewalk. He pulled his keys from the bag and began to move into the small apartment building, checking his mail holder as he went which was empty. Amelia looked around, dragging her case up the steps as Jackson stormed ahead, not bothering to help her until they reached the second floor and he waited for her, seeing an old woman walking down the hallway.

"Jackson!" she exclaimed once seeing him and he looked at her, remembering the time he had helped her bring her shopping upstairs. "Honey, how long have you been gone on business this time?"

"Just a month, Mrs Mathewson," Jackson said, his most charming smile coming into play and the old woman grinned. Clearly he wasn't on breaking news or the most wanted list. Then again, no one really knew who had taken Amelia except for his firm.

"And who is this pretty little thing?" she asked and Amelia remained mute, looking at Jackson and expecting him to come up with the answer.

"This is Danielle," Jackson said, the lie slipping from his tongue as he did so. "She's my girlfriend."

"Oh!" the old woman exclaimed, her hands clapping together. "Very nice to meet you, Danielle!"

"You too," Amelia spoke back as Jackson's arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer to him and Amelia gritted her teeth together. At least he managed to be convincing. She looked like a hostage. Well, she was. She thought she was. She didn't know anymore.

"Well, I'd best get this one inside," Jackson said gently, his hand squeezing around her waist, urging her to look more convincing. His eyes glanced down devotionally at her and she looked up to him, her smile sarcastic to his eye. "We've had a long journey and she's wiped out."

"Oh yes," Mrs Mathewson agreed. "I need to go and do my shopping. It's very good to see you both!"

"You, too," Jackson said and he began to lead Amelia up to his apartment as the elderly woman left them.

"Get off me," Amelia muttered, snatching herself from his arm and he gladly let her go, unlocking the door to his apartment and dropping his bag onto the floor whilst Amelia looked around, her hand still on her case. Jackson acted quickly, rushing into his bedroom and dropping to his knees, opening his wardrobe and then pulling the hidden panel off to find his safe.

Amelia looked around at the clinical apartment. All it had was a built in kitchen, dining chairs and a leather sofa. There were no books, no TV, nothing personal.

He clearly didn't live here. And if he did, well, she'd be impressed at the lack of things he had. She'd get bored easily.

"Jackson," Amelia spoke up, walking through to the bedroom where he was depositing cash onto the floor besides a passport. "What is this place?"

"It doesn't matter," he replied hastily, standing up and walking back to grab his bag before throwing the money into it and the passport into his jacket pocket.

"What are you doing?" Amelia asked.

"Leaving," he spoke to her. "I need to get out of the States before something happens."

"Before they kill you?" she checked and he nodded.

"Here," Jackson spoke, handing her the spare phone he kept. "Call your parents and tell them where you are."

"I thought you said that I'd die?" Amelia checked and Jackson looked at her as he placed the bag back onto his shoulder, glaring at her as he did so.

"You're not my responsibility," Jackson told her. "I've kept you alive this far. It's up to you now."

Amelia remained slightly confused at the sudden change of mind and she continued to stare at him before she looked down onto the phone.

"So, that's it?" she checked and he shrugged.

"I don't know what you want me to do," Jackson replied to her. "I can't exactly take you with me. You might survive. The firm might allow it."

"Might?" Amelia checked with him, her voice hoarse as she did so. "I need something a bit better than might!"

"Well, I can't give you that," Jackson hissed. "You're not my responsibility, Amelia. I need to go. Call you parents," he told her again and she shook her head at him as he walked past her to the door. He looked back at her as she continued to stare at him and he wondered if he should say something to her. It wasn't in his place to do anything. He'd failed and that was it. He'd helped her. His good deed was done.

"I'll see you around," Jackson mumbled before leaving his apartment and walking down the steps. Amelia remained stood where she was, dropping down onto his sofa for a moment before dialling her parent's number into the phone.

"Mom," Amelia's voice quivered when her mother picked up.

"Amy!" her mother exclaimed. "Where the hell are you? What's happening? We've been so worried! Your brother has been taken into protective custody! Someone tried to kill him! Where are you, honey?"

"Texas," Amelia whispered. "Somewhere in Austin, mom. I'm scared...mom..."

"I know, sweetie," her mother sighed as her father stood close by the phone. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"No," Amelia shook her head. "He never hurt me. He's gone. He told me to call you. I didn't know what else to do."

"Okay, it's okay, Ames," her mother promised her. "Stay on the phone to me and your dad will call the police and they'll have someone trace you, okay?"

"Okay," Amelia agreed, gulping once and sighing. But, she didn't get much of a chance to think. A sudden shot was heard echoing through the corridor and Amelia jumped up, looking around and moving to the door as she did so.

"Amy, what was that?" her mother worried.

"I don't know," Amelia replied before the door flung open again. His eyes scanned the room before he looked onto her and grabbed her wrist. "Jackson, what the hell is happening?"

"They found us," he hissed, snatching the phone from her hand and slamming it onto the floor, destroying it as Amelia managed to grab her satchel.

"What?" Amelia snapped and he pushed his free hand through his hair whilst looking at her and holding onto her hand tightly, dragging her onto the corridor and then down the hall to the fire escape. "How?"

"I don't know," Jackson snapped, slamming the door open before quickly moving down the mesh steps. Amelia followed him, her satchel slamming against her legs as she did. Finally, she managed to place it over her shoulder, quickly keeping up with Jackson as another gunshot was heard from the top of the staircase. She shrieked loudly again before they reached the alleyway and Jackson rushed down it, looking for more of them. Amelia began to feel her heels falling off her feet and she allowed them to, accepting the fact she couldn't run in them.

"Keep going," Jackson urged her, his grip increasing whilst she heard shots whizz past them and they quickly turned the corner.

"Taxi!" Jackson suddenly yelled, jumping out to stop a travelling car. It did as it was asked and he opened the back door, pushing Amelia in first before himself, the pair of them ducking down in the seat.

"Airport," Jackson demanded. "Now."

"Okay, man," he replied, sensing something had wound him up.

Amelia looked across to Jackson, completely breathless and he nodded back at her, dropping his hand from hers.

"You came back," she mumbled to him and he looked out the window.

"I guess I did."

...

A/N: Words cannot explain how much fun I am having in writing this! I loved Red Eye and couldn't resist doing it in the end! Anyway, thank you to ShatteredMirrorReflection, esolo, LivinJgril123 and trudes193 for reviewing the previous chapter! Do let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

"It's not going to work," Amelia hissed as soon as she and Jackson moved from the cab and into the airport. She swore inside of her head that she had forgotten her suitcase and it was still in Jackson's apartment, ready to be raided. She literally had nothing. She had a purse full of credit cards which she wasn't allowed to use which meant she had less than fifty dollars on her. Her BlackBerry was dead and her passport was the last bit of hope she had to get out of this mess.

"Why isn't it?" Jackson asked her, his hand under her arm and steering her towards the departure section of the airport and she looked up to him, her brow raised before he pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing that she a small point. She was surely declared as missing. He just had to hope that Texas didn't recognise that.

"It's been just over forty eight hours and you just phoned your mother," Jackson informed her, his voice stern and calm as he did so. "They may not have you declared as missing yet."

"What about you?"

Jackson chuckled gently, shaking his head at her as he did so, pulling the fake passport from his pocket and flashing it in her direction.

"Steve Jones?" she checked and he shrugged. "Really? You picked one of the most obvious names available."

"I was pressed for time," Jackson hissed at her and she rolled her eyes at him, slowly walking by his side as he looked at the available flights and wondered where to go.

"That will do," Jackson mumbled, looking at Amelia for a moment. "Stay here. I'm going to go and book it. Okay?"

"Well I'm not going to run off," Amelia promised him, sitting down on a bench and dropping her satchel to her feet, indicating her point as Jackson moved over to the desk, hastily speaking with the woman his low voice, smiling widely at her as he did so. How charm worked a wonder when he got what he wanted. He moved into his bag, asking if he could pay by cash and she agreed, wondering where he had six thousand and sixty four dollars from, but she remained silent, taking it and handing him the tickets.

Jackson checked the details, taking his passport and Amelia's back, thankful he had encountered no glitches. Austin to JFK in New York. Then New York to Madrid. Then Madrid to Venice. He had to spend a total of eighteen hours and thirty seven minutes with Amelia. He closed his eyes for a moment at the thought, taking the ticket back over to her and she looked at it, a dry expression on her face.

"Venice?" she asked him. "You're taking me to the City of Lovers?"

"I thought that was Paris?" Jackson responded and the pair of them moved over to check in. Once they were through security, they settled down and waited for their flight to be called, yawning loudly as they sat side by side.

"What if I told you that I don't want to go?" Amelia asked him, her voice relatively low as she did so. Slowly, he looked over to her and shook his head.

"I don't think that you'd make it," he responded to her. "You're wanted by the firm. I don't think that they would let you survive. You witnessed what just happened."

"Jackson," Amelia sighed, "what am I supposed to do? Live on the run for the rest of my life?"

"Something will happen," he promised her, tired of speaking and she shrugged once, not too sure if he was talking the truth or just humouring her. "Do you want to go back?"

"I don't know," she complained, her voice weak and emotionless as she settled further down into her seat and Jackson watched her with interest. "I don't know if I'd survive, like you said. I just don't particularly want to go to Venice with a man who kidnapped me."

"I never really kidnapped you," Jackson hissed, glaring at her. "Now keep your voice down. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves, do we?"

"You'd hate that," she smiled sarcastically up at him and he chuckled darkly, looking back onto the planes as they moved down the runway and he gritted his teeth together. "And so you decided to get me onto a plane."

"I know you hate them," Jackson said to her.

"So you do remember what I tell you?"

"I'd be a pretty rubbish manager if I didn't, wouldn't I?" he checked with a roll of his eyes. Amelia remained mute, glancing out onto the runway along with Jackson, the pair of them moving into a muted silence until their flight was called. Jackson led the way, one hand stuffed in his pocket and the other wrapped around Amelia's wrist, making sure she didn't leave him.

"Why did you come back?" she asked him suddenly as they queued to give the flight attendant their boarding pass. Jackson looked at her, wishing she would her tongue.

"Hm?" he asked, pretending that he hadn't been listening and that she would drop it.

"You came back, Jackson. Why? You told me that I was alone," she reminded him and he shrugged nonchalantly, not too interested with her queries. What did she want to hear? He came back because he cared? She'd be waiting a long time until he told her that.

In fact, he didn't think he would ever speak like that to anyone.

"Did you want to stay there and die?"

"Jackson," she complained, her name rolling off of his tongue in annoyance. "You know that I didn't. Why did you come back though?"

"Maybe I decided to be nice. It's a novelty for me so don't get too used to hearing that word," he drawled out and she glowered up to him as he handed their boarding passes to the air stewardess and walked down the ramp to the plane, being greeted and informed his seat was down the aisle. Where else was his seat supposed to be? The cockpit? He'd guided Amelia forwards, his hand on the small of her back and pushing her down to row twenty seven near the back of the plane.

She sat down in the window seat and slid her bag under the seat in front of her, looking around with worry as Jackson remained calm and collected; his eyes closing as escaping suddenly became a reality.

"Thank you," Amelia suddenly said; fastening her seat belt and Jackson looked to her, his face vacant and emotionless. "For coming back."

"Did you just thank me?" he checked and she rolled her eyes.

"Don't get used to manners. They're a novelty," she said, quoting back to him and he smirked once before he looked at the seat in front of him. Amelia took a deep breath as she felt the plane move down the runway and Jackson looked at her.

"Try to distract yourself and take deep breaths," Jackson said to her, his eyes still shut as the movement of the plane did nothing to bother him. Amelia looked at him before closing her own eyes, thinking about something other than the plane moving into the air.

Funnily enough, it helped. Before she knew it they were up and safe in the air, floating above clouds and Jackson looked across to her.

"Okay?"

"I'd be better with a drink," she assured him, clutching onto the armrests and Jackson chuckled.

"I'll order you a vodka."

...

A/N: Slowly learning to trust each other! Thank you to anyone reading and please do review!


	10. Chapter 10

It took three hours before they were landing in New York and Amelia had slept for the majority of the way. Jackson had bought her a sandwich to eat after she had complained that she was hungry, but he'd looked across to her and she'd fallen asleep with it half eaten and dropped back into his wrapping. Her legs were curled up to her chest and her head was resting to the side, her breathing shallow and her hair falling out from the ponytail she'd put it in.

He'd awoken her when they landed, eating her sandwich for his own as they did. She placed her satchel over her shoulder, not caring about the fact that it creased the middle of her jumper and showed her small chest more prominently.

Jackson kept his hand around her wrist, making sure she didn't wander off as he led her through the terminal, his bag firm in his hand. But, he soon found that she wasn't keeping up with his fast pace and the vacant look on her face told him that she was exhausted. He managed to remain focused, months of training teaching him that he had to. But, she was no manager. She kept wandering off, their arms extending and Jackson had to keep dragging her back to him.

Finally, he wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tightly to his side and she didn't even complain. Jackson had rolled his eyes, thinking of how she must be ready to collapse if she didn't even stir when he held onto her tightly. If anything, she leant onto him. They began the dull wait for their flight from JFK to Madrid.

He bought a newspaper whilst Amelia sat down on a seat, curled up onto it with her bag by her side and she looked ready to fall asleep again. She reminded him of a toddler who fell asleep into their food as she ate the chips she'd bought.

His eyes remained fixed on her as he paid for the paper. He didn't want to risk losing her or have anyone find her. Eventually, he settled down beside her, flicking through the boring paper of financial gossip and world affairs.

"When we get to Venice then we'll find a hotel," he promised her. "You can sleep and then we can decide what to do."

"What do you mean?" Amelia asked him in a small whisper.

"Well," Jackson spoke, looking down onto his paper, "we can't stay together, can we?"

"I don't know," Amelia muttered. "I'm too tired to think."

"Go to sleep then. I'll tell you when we're departing," Jackson spoke, his voice irate as tiredness washed over his body. He ignored it though, making sure he didn't listen to his body's protesting.

"What's your job?" Amelia suddenly asked him and he looked across to her as she ate another chip.

"I'm a manager," he simply said.

"A hit man?"

"No," he snorted. "My shot is worse than yours," he promised her with a smirk. "I deal with high profile assassinations. Not me personally. I have people to do that dirty work for me. Well...I did...now I'm on the run."

"Why do you do it?" Amelia asked him, struggling to keep her eyes open as Jackson turned to glance at her and she shrugged at him, yawning loudly as she did so. "Surely there are easier jobs."

"It was just something which I chose to do," he replied to her, keeping his response minimal and to himself. The less she knew then the better. "Why are you a food critic?"

"I like food," Amelia mumbled. "I can't imagine that you like holding people hostage and threatening them."

"I do what I have to," Jackson replied to her. "It isn't something that bothers me too much."

Amelia scoffed at hearing him, shaking her head and sinking further down into her seat.

"Your moral compass is way out," she informed him before closing her eyes and he chuckled, looking back at her. Something about him was way out.

...

The flight to Madrid was considerably longer and there were more people and more seats. They were sat on a row of four in the middle of the plane, Amelia taking the inner seat and Jackson the seat next to the aisle. A couple sat to the side of Amelia, completely wrapped up in each other as she remained awake, feeling cramped and tired.

Jackson had his tray lowered, reading his newspaper from it and Amelia glanced at it every now and then as the plane shook suddenly her hand instantly reached onto the armrest, landing on top of his as he drummed his fingers against it.

Jackson's eyes travelled downwards to see her fingers on his and he didn't move, instead he just looked up at her and she slowly removed her hand from his before he leant closer to her ear, his voice low and soft.

"If you wanted to hold my hand then you just had to ask," he taunted her and she glared over to him. He continued to smirk as the plane shook again and Amelia looked around at all the other unfazed people.

"Shut up," she hissed at him. "What do you have in your bag?"

Jackson raised a brow as he looked at her and she shook her head.

"I'm not bothered about the money. I'm thinking of toothpaste and maybe a hairbrush," she said and he nodded at her.

"Why?"

"I haven't showered in nearly three days or brushed my teeth. My mouth tastes of cheap coffee, vodka and chips. My hair is like a ball of grease and my fringe is unspeakable. My clothes are beginning to irritate me and I just want to freshen up considering we left my case at your apartment."

Jackson listened to her small speech before he stood up, grabbing his bag from the overhead compartment as Amelia pushed herself from her seat. She stood up as he held onto the bag before he leant down to whisper to her again.

"I know exactly how much money is in there. Don't try anything," he warned her and she rolled her eyes, snatching the bag from his hand.

Jackson sat back down as she entered the toilet and turned his attention back to his paper before the couple to the side of him began to initiate conversation.

"Is your girlfriend okay?" the woman asked him. She couldn't have been more than thirty and her husband looked at least a couple of years older. Jackson turned to look at them as she continued to speak. "I noticed that she looked a little pale during takeoff so I thought I'd ask."

Jackson smiled back, wanting to keep a low profile and he nodded at her.

"She's fine. She's a nervous flyer," he simply spoke back before looking back to his paper, hoping that would end the conversation. He was right, thankfully. The woman turned back to her husband and rested against his side before they began to talk about what to do when they reached Spain.

It was another five minutes before Amelia graced Jackson with her presence. He stood up, taking the bag from her and seeing how she had brushed her greasy hair, tying it back again and placing her fringe to the side. Her glasses seemed to be on her face permanently at that moment in time, the black frames thick and bold against her small face.

"Are you wearing my shirt?" Jackson asked her, his hand moving out to touch the collar which was poking up from underneath her sweater. She nodded at him.

"I took my sweater off and managed to spill toothpaste onto my blouse. It felt dirty enough so I changed into yours. Calm down, it isn't like I stole the fifty grand in there, is it?"

"No," Jackson mumbled. "By the way, the couple next door think we're a couple."

Amelia rolled her eyes at him as he whispered to her and shrugged, suggesting that it wasn't his fault for the turn of events.

"Whatever you say, honey," Amelia replied, pinching his cheek to wind him up before she returned to her seat and the couple smiled at her before turning back to their own business. Jackson glared at the bag, resting it on the arm of his seat and opening it up, checking that everything was still there. His eyes widened as he saw the material sat on the top and he looked at her and she looked back at him and he slowly pulled a bit of the silken material out and she shrugged.

He rolled his eyes and dumped the bag back above their seat and sat down beside her, hissing into her ear.

"Why is that thing in my bag?"

"You try wearing a bra for three full days," Amelia muttered back to him. "It isn't exactly comfortable even for those of us with no chest to support. Can you tell?"

Jackson focused on the seat in front of him as Amelia shook her head and closed her eyes once again, trying to fall to sleep and Jackson had a quick glance down at her chest. No, he couldn't tell she was braless he supposed.

...

"Delayed?" Amelia checked and Jackson returned from looking at the board for the flight to Venice from Madrid. "How long for?"

"Two hours," he said and sat himself down on the bar stool opposite her at the small table which she'd found. She seemed to be a little perkier after a few hours of sleeping. Jackson was still entirely focused, his body running on sugar and caffeine as Amelia sipped on the diet coke he'd bought her.

"Well, that gives us time to talk," she declared and Jackson looked put out as she said that to him.

"What makes you think I want to talk?" he wondered and she rolled her eyes at him before gently kicking him under the table. The heat in Madrid was like being in LA and Amelia wished she could take her sweater off. But, his shirt and no bra wasn't a flattering look.

"I do," she replied. "If we're in this together then I want to know what it is you really do."

"I told you in New York," he reminded her and she shook her head.

"I was half asleep," she reminded him and he rolled his eyes.

"That's your fault then."

"Jackson," she complained. "You said something about being a manager, didn't you?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "I deal with assassinations which my firm wants me to carry out. I can't discuss the firm. You don't need to know about them."

"I don't want to," Amelia assured him. "I want to know why you do it."

"I need to make a living somehow."

"And doing this is the only option?" she wondered from him and he shrugged nonchalantly, not too bothered with what she thought of his lifestyle choice. It was easy money and the people weren't innocent.

"Bad things happen throughout the world, Amelia," he informed her. "I can't stop them from happening. If I didn't do my job then someone else would. There would always be someone else like me."

"But why you?" Amelia asked him with a shrug, holding the glass in her hands, the coolness refreshing as Jackson eyed her suspiciously. "Why do you do it?"

"The money is good," he admitted to her. "You've seen that."

"So is the money from being an accountant," she deadpanned and he chuckled at hearing her. "You can't enjoy your job."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well...people hate you...some might fight against you..."

"You're the first," he assured her. "I've never had anyone as spritely as you."

"I'll take that as a compliment," she nodded at him and he chuckled.

"I wouldn't," he responded. "I do what I do because the money is good and someone has to do it. Why not me? The majority of the people affected are bad anyway. There is no such thing as innocent."

"It's not your choice to decide who dies and lives, Jackson," Amelia told him.

"I guess this is an issue which we're going to have to disagree on."

"I just don't understand you, Jackson."

"And you never will."

...

A/N: I love the interaction between the pair of them! More action to come soon though so don't worry. Anyway, I would like to thank trudes193, LivinJgrl123 and esolo for reviewing the previous chapter! Much more to come! Please review


	11. Chapter 11

"Mom, I need you to calm down," Amelia pleaded with her mother as soon as she had picked up the ringing phone. Jackson stood beside her, leaning against the white washed wall in the airport as Amelia looked like she was on the verge of tears at hearing her mother. Jackson's eyes remained focused on the watch on his wrist as he counted down the seconds. He'd told her that she had half a minute and for half of that time she had listened to her mother sobbing down the phone.

"Mom!" Amelia exclaimed and the sniffing died down. "I'm okay. I promise you that I'm okay. I can't explain what is happening...but...I'm going to be fine."

"How do you know that?" her mother snapped back. "Amelia, you're somewhere with a random man who...who has kidnapped you."

"He hasn't," Amelia promised her mother. "You can't know what is going on, but, we're going to be okay. Look, I'll talk to you-"

"-Times up," Jackson commented, grabbing the phone from her hand and slamming it back down onto the hook it came off. Amelia turned around, glaring at him as the back of both of her hands ran underneath her nose and she inhaled sharply, nodding at him as he began to lead them towards the gate which they were to go to.

"I didn't think that it would be this hard," Amelia informed him, her voice low and soft whilst Jackson continued to watch her, no emotion on his face and his features unreadable whilst she stood by his side, gulping loudly to contain the cries which wanted to escape her lips.

"That's why it's easier when you have no one," he said to her lowly. "You cut ties from people and then you can stop caring. It makes life easier."

"It makes life feel numb," Amelia told him. "To have no one to care about is lonely, isn't it?"

"Some people like to be alone," he informed her as they began to queue for the plane once again. Amelia remained silent, thinking about what he had said to her. So there was no one in his life. She had guessed that much from the way he easily upped and left without a second thought. Her staring at him wasn't helping him focus on not looking back at her. His eyes danced back down to her and she bit down on her lips, turning away and thinking about him.

Surely something must have made him like he was. No one was born wanting to be alone. No one naturally wanted to be left by themselves. No, she was sure that Jackson Rippner had something happen to him. She didn't air her thoughts. Of course, she didn't think that he would share anything with her. He'd brought her along on this mad adventure by default. He wasn't looking for someone to talk to.

And neither was she. She despised him. She hated his arrogant manner and the way he dismissed her opinion. She hated the fact he had held her hostage on the train. But, looking at him and standing close to him, she felt no hatred. She didn't feel any hostility towards him and she couldn't help but find that odd. Surely she should hate him.

"You're deep in thought," he suddenly told her and she looked perplexed for a moment as she handed the air hostess her ticket and passport before being ushered through.

"Just thinking about stuff," she told him and he pursed his lips. As long as this stuff wasn't finding a way to escape then he didn't really care what she thought about. Well, he wouldn't mind knowing, no matter how mediocre it seemed to her.

He took the aisle seat as per usual and she sat next to the window, ready for the final leg of their flight. She wasn't even tired. Sleep wasn't overwhelming her and her body clock was thoroughly messed up. She knew that much.

"When we're in Venice then I'll find a hotel," Jackson promised her. "You can even buy some clean clothes."

"No," Amelia shook her head at him. "You can buy me some clean clothes. I can't use my credit cards and you're the one with the money."

"Fine," he rolled his eyes. "I'll buy you some clothes."

Amelia smiled sweetly up at him, her teeth bared and her eyes wide through her glasses as she did so. "Good."

...

"Oh my God," she sighed, settling herself down onto the large double bed in the suite, her body slumping into the soft mattress whilst Jackson remained stood by the window, looking out onto the quiet street which showed some people making their way down to the main square where the local market took place. "This is like heaven. Thanks for the room."

"Well, we're sharing," Jackson told her and she sat up straight, looking at him as he looked back at her, his shoulders shrugging nonchalantly as he did so. "What? We shared a cab and a plane before. Having two separate rooms would have looked odd. We need to blend in."

"Brilliant," Amelia complained, standing up and shrugging out of her jumper, Jackson's shirt coming out from her skirt. He looked across to her, her braless sight causing him to look away and gulp once as she tugged at the buttons to his shirt.

"What are you doing?" he snapped at her as she rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm going for a shower if you're having this facade that we're some kind of happily married American couple," she spat at him. "You can go out and get me some more clothes."

"You're as bossy as a wife would be," he mumbled under his breath as Amelia waved a hand behind her and turned to the en-suite, his shirt pooling off of her body as she went.

"I'm a size six!" she yelled out from the bathroom and Jackson shook his head, grabbing the cash from his bag and hiding some of it in the vacant wardrobe under a handbook to Venice. He left the room, realising that it would be easier for him to go and get her some clothes instead of listening to her moan at him.

...

"I said a size six, Jackson," Amelia complained when he handed her the bag of clothes which he had bought her from some boutique down the road. He contained the thoughts inside of his head as she took a summer dress from him.

"They didn't have a six," he told her. "Besides, the conversion threw me. Sizes are different in Europe and I just wanted to get out of there."

"Well, it could look worse, I suppose," she told him from behind the bathroom door.

He settled himself down onto the bed, laying down and pushing his hands through his dark hair before she came back out, checking her reflection in the floor length wooden mirror. She felt a lot better after showering and changing into something clean. Sleep would be her next priority and then dinner. She knew that she had to try and get her body clock back on track.

"The hotel doesn't do food here," Jackson mumbled as he closed his eyes and felt his body relax. Amelia nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed and wondering if she should lie down.

"It isn't really a hotel then," she commented and Jackson had to bite his tongue at her complaints.

"There's a tonne of restaurants down the road in the plaza by the market. We'll go for dinner after a sleep."

"That's probably the best idea which you've had all day."

...

Apparently, Jackson had chosen a tourist trap to stay in. The restaurant was full of couples and families for the summer, all of them trying the local cuisine and being fussed over by over attentive waiters. Jackson had showered, feeling refreshed as Amelia remained in her summer dress, the red flowers splayed all over the strapless dress. Jackson's green shirt and black pants were just enough to keep him warm in the evening air which was still humid.

He'd watched as a waiter pulled Amelia's chair out for her and tucked her back in as he sat opposite her, looking through the menu as she did the same. They quietly ordered the same meal, Amelia meaning to give Jackson a lesson in Italian cuisine as they did so, just to annoy him.

He poured her a glass of wine, handing it to her as she sipped on it and he did the same, the pair of them lapsing into silence.

"You told your parents that you didn't think I'd kidnapped you," Jackson suddenly spoke, his voice low and soft for once as Amelia stopped her people watching and looked back at him, nodding in agreement as she did so.

"I don't think you have," she replied. "I came here with you. I could easily have left. I'd like to consider it a mutual decision that I'm here."

"Well, I've never really had company," Jackson mumbled and Amelia grinned at hearing that from him. Somehow, she wasn't surprised.

"Don't you have anyone?" she finally asked him and he shook his head at her.

"If I did, do you think that I'd be out here with you?" he asked; his voice slightly harsher than he had meant it. But, Amelia had thick skin. She wasn't intending to let him upset her. She knew that it wouldn't do anyone any good.

"Something must have happened to have made you this way," Amelia spoke and he shook his head at her, a grin creeping up to his lips as he did so.

"If you're looking for me to tell you a story of how I lost my parents when I was a child and so came to hate everyone then you'd be waiting a long time. Or maybe you'd prefer it if my heart was broken?" he wondered and she shook her own head, scoffing as she listened to him.

"I don't think that it would be possible for you to admit to having a heart," Amelia joked and Jackson remained tight lipped, thinking about what she had just said and he shook his head, silently disagreeing with her as he did so. "I think that you don't have a conscience either."

"Why would you say that?"

"From what I can see you feel no regret about anything which you've done or anyone who you're hurt," Amelia sipped on her wine, the alcohol making her feel slightly braver than she felt. "You carry on with your life and what you're doing without even a shred of respect towards anyone else. I doubt that you've ever done something kind in your life."

"I came back for you," he reminded her.

"One kind thing can't make up for years of what you've done."

"Next thing you tell me is that I'll be going to hell," Jackson snorted and Amelia shrugged, smirking as she did so.

"I think it may be a possibility," she admitted to him before a woman approached their table, a basket full of roses on her arm as the pair of them looked up. Amelia noted another couple on the small table next to theirs, the man handing the woman the rose and her face lighting up as Jackson complained.

"If you don't buy one then I will," Amelia said, a false smile plastered onto her face for the sake of the old woman. Jackson looked back at her with a raised brow.

"Why?"

"Because she's an old woman trying to make some money," Amelia informed him and Jackson resisted the urge to roll his eyes, grabbing five euro's from his pocket and handing it to her as she passed him the rose and motioned to Amelia who pushed her glasses further onto her nose.

"Lei è incantevole. Non lasciare mai andare," the old woman spoke, motioning for him to hand the flower to Amelia before she scurried off.

"What did she just say?" Jackson wondered and Amelia rolled her eyes at him.

"Italian isn't my strong point," she dryly told him and he frowned before passing the rose over to her.

"Here," he said ruefully, his hand catching against hers as he passed it and she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Thanks, honey," she responded with fake enthusiasm and Jackson chuckled before their meal was served.

The pair of them managed civilised conversation for the meal. Jackson constantly looking around for anything which could be a risk to them as Amelia commented on the spices and herbs used in the food. All he cared about was that it tasted nice. The end of the night came and Jackson stood up first, dropping his money onto the table for the bill as Amelia stood with him, his hand resting on her back and guiding her through the crowds of tourists in the plaza.

"I've been thinking," Amelia admitted to him and he looked down at her, ready for her thoughts.

He took a step to the side as she continued to look through the Italian culture in the hyperactive market place, lights illuminating and dancing around them as they did so.

"I don't think you're as bad as you like to think," she suddenly said and Jackson became aware that she had drained off just over half a bottle of local wine. "I mean...you came back for me, didn't you? I think...I think maybe you can be someone better..."

"I think that you've drank far too much," Jackson informed her and she shrugged, biting down on her bottom lip as she did so.

"Perhaps," she admitted back to him. "But I'd like to think I was right."

"Why?" Jackson asked her as a man walked straight through the middle of them and Jackson grumbled, moving closer to her and hooking his arm around her waist, stopping them from being separated. "What makes you think that I want to be someone better? I'm happy the way I am."

"On the run from your own firm?" she wondered. "I don't think you are, Jackson. Either I saw a shred of goodness from you earlier or I'm just an exception to your rule. I think the former one is more amiable."

Jackson remained quiet, silently thinking to himself how the latter seemed more appropriate.

...

A/N: Still loving writing this story! Anyway, thank you to trudes193 and LivinJgrl123 for reviewing! Do let me know what you all think guys!


	12. Chapter 12

"You get chatty when you've had a drink," Jackson observed as he walked down the street with Amelia, the two of them walking side by side but keeping their distance. She rolled her eyes, knowing that she was slightly tipsy but it wasn't anything which she couldn't handle. He was over-exaggerating. "I must remember to stop giving you alcohol."

"Oh, ha bloody ha," Amelia spat out at him, the streets seeming to thin with people as they walked over the cobbles and down the side avenues away from the plaza. She had her arms wrapped around her shoulders, the rose still held in her hand as Jackson's eyes often drifted towards it, looking at it with wonder as he did so. "I'm just saying that I don't think you're all that, Jackson." She informed him with a nonchalant shrug. "If you really were as evil as you seemed then you'd have left me in your apartment. You'd have left me ages ago."

"You're either flattering yourself or misjudging me," Jackson informed her and she chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ears and messing with her wispy fringe as he looked at her. "You're wearing your glasses a lot more."

"I know," she said, her hand instinctively checking that the glasses were still on her nose. She became unaware of them sitting there when she'd had them on for a while. "My sight isn't all that it used to be. I try to go without glasses to make it better...but...I've got lazy the past few days. I blame you."

"I've noticed that you blame me for a lot of things," Jackson mumbled and Amelia allowed the sly grin to form on the corner of her mouth as her eyes looked to the side and up to Jackson. He was fully focused on where he was going, watching as families passed him, along with loved up couples. It was almost sickening. He caught Amelia glancing at them every now and then. He often queried what the look in her eye was when she saw them. It wasn't the urge to scoff or feel nauseous, he knew that much.

"Well, it only seems prudent that I do," she spoke back as Jackson suddenly noted something which seemed out of place. Two men wearing suits sat in a bar which they were passing, the openness of it obvious due to the folding glass doors. They were sat at a bar, looking intently onto the cobbled pathway as their eyes locked with his. Instantly, he felt something stir inside of him, his gut telling him that something wasn't quite right. They were the only ones at the new and quiet bar. That never helped.

He looked away for a moment as they went out of view and he quickly pushed Amelia to the side, hiding her down the small alleyway by the side of the bar where the rubbish was stored. She was about to yell at him, protesting for his foul behaviour when he clapped his hand over her mouth, his glare instantly telling her to remain silent.

She did as he had motioned, resting against the wall and nodding at him, confirming that he could let her go before he peered around the corner of the alley, seeing the two men walking up along the abandoned stone street.

Quickly, he jumped out, his elbow making contact with one of them as they gasped in shock and the other moved his hand into his pocket. Amelia watched as Jackson quickly kicked back, hitting the gasping man's shin and causing him to tumble over before he went for the other one, tousling with the gun on his hand.

But, Jackson was more tactical. He hastily twisted the man's arm, pushing it against his back and then slamming his chest onto the brickwork as Amelia saw the other one stir. She moved out as Jackson remained focused on pushing the man against the wall and she kicked the stirring one on the floor, her foot aching afterwards as she swore. Jackson turned to look at her and the unconscious man before she picked up the dropped gun.

"Who sent you?" Jackson hissed into his ear and the man whimpered once in pain before gritting his teeth, sucking it up and not letting him gain the upper hand. "Who?" Jackson snapped into his ear, close to break his wrist as Amelia paled at seeing him. He really was lethal.

"The firm," the man mumbled out. "They want you and your little girlfriend dead."

"Why didn't they give me time to go onto Plan B?" Jackson snapped and the man remained silent before Jackson turned his head, pressing his cheeks firmly against the stone. Amelia checked around, making sure that the street was still empty and no one could see what he was doing.

Jackson spat onto the floor quickly before turning his attention back to the struggling man. "Answer me."

"You had enough time and you didn't use her," he hissed. "And then you took her with you. You've breached code, Rippner."

"Oh yeah?" Jackson wondered. "What code would this be?"

"You fell for the mark," he groaned and Jackson rolled his eyes at hearing that. Amelia remained stunned at what she had heard and she couldn't help but interrupt, stepping over the unconscious man and besides the one against the wall.

"Excuse me," she spoke to him and his beady eyes managed to find her. "Hi, I'm Amelia Drayton."

"What are you doing?" Jackson wondered, his brows furrowing together as he watched her and she shook her head at him.

"Setting the record straight," she barked back before she turned her attention back to man who he was suffocating. "Look, I don't know what you think, but, there is nothing going on between me and Mr Rippner. I'd really appreciate it if you told your boss that and asked if they could stop trying to kill me because all I want to do is go home, okay?"

"And you think he is going to believe that?" Jackson wondered, frustrated with her pleading behaviour. She clearly didn't know much about men who killed for a living. He saw her shrug quickly, her green eyes wide under her glasses.

"I think that it is worth a shot. I mean, it is the truth."

"They won't believe anything which you say, believe me," Jackson demanded her. "Jesus, you're going to jeopardise everything."

"Hey!" Amelia snapped at him. "I'm not the one who didn't get the job done, am I?"

"Christ," Jackson mumbled, shaking his head and squeezing the man harder against the wall. "You didn't want me to do the job in the first place, did you?"

"No," she admitted, "but I didn't ask for killers to come and find me because of it, did I?"

"You're insufferable," Jackson mumbled.

"So are you," Amelia promised him and then pointed at the man he was torturing slowly. "Can you just let the man go? You're hurting him and he has to relay a message back to your firm."

"Fine," Jackson spat and a sharp snap was suddenly heard as the man screamed out in pain and Jackson quickly hit his head against the wall before allowing his body to slump to the floor. Amelia felt her jaw hit the ground as soon as she had seen him do that and he raised a brow at her, snatching the gun from her hands and stuffing it down his pants, tucking it under his shirt.

"You broke his wrist," she accused him as his arm laced around her waist and dragged her away from the scene before someone found them laid there. "Jackson, you just broke his wrist."

"Well, he won't be able to shoot us for a while then, will he?" Jackson mumbled back at her. "We need to go again. We can hire a car and drive down to the coast. I've read about ferries to Greece."

"Great," Amelia said, sarcasm oozing from her voice as she did so.

...

Amelia remained silent as Jackson drove the rental car down to the coast. He'd bundled his bag into the car along with Amelia's clothes and everything else which she wanted from the room, including the complimentary shampoos and conditioners.

"Has it happened before?" Amelia asked him in a whisper.

"Has what happened before?" Jackson asked. Why did she think that he was a mind reader? He didn't know the answer to every question which came from her mouth, especially when they were vague.

"You know," she shrugged, "has anyone ever lost their mission because they took pity on who they were threatening."

"It's not a frequent thing," Jackson said, his voice low and contemplative as he looked across to her for a moment. "It has happened before."

"But never to you?"

"Like I said," Jackson drawled, "I've never had anyone quite like you before. All the others would give up within an hour."

"But...that's not what happened here, is it?" she checked with him. "I mean, you hate me and I hate you."

"If you like," Jackson said and Amelia shook her head, not sure what was coming over her as she looked back at him tucking his hair behind his ears.

"No. I don't want to hate you," she said honestly. "I don't think that I do hate you. I hate what you've done. I hate the fact that you tried to have my brother killed and you could have blown my family up. But...I don't think I hate you as a person."

"Well," Jackson coughed after a moment of taking in what she had said. "If it is any condolence then I don't really hate you. I hate the fact that you defied everything I told you to do and I hate how I'm now on the run because of it. But, I don't hate you."

"Seems we can agree over some things then," Amelia laughed lightly, the sound making Jackson grin as he changed gear and she settled back in her seat, closing her eyes again.

"Apparently so," Jackson mumbled to himself.

...

A/N: thank you once again to trudes193 and LivinJgrl123 who seem to be my main reviewers for the story! I'm glad you're still sticking with it!

If anyone is reading this then a review would be appreciated! Much more to come when they're on the ferry, as you can tell, they're beginning to bond a bit more which I love writing!


	13. Chapter 13

"Are we safe for the time being?" Amelia asked Jackson as soon as he had ditched the rental car and bought her a proper bag for her clothes. She took it, stuffing them inside of it as Jackson looked around suspiciously, hoping that no one had followed them. He doubted that they would have. The pair of them had left quickly without giving anyone any chance to know where they were going.

"I think so," Jackson admitted to her. "The ferry should be about six and a half hours so it won't be long. Once we're in Athens then I'm going to try and find us a flight out of Europe."

"Brilliant," Amelia mumbled, standing close to Jackson's side as they queued for the ferry out of Italy. She allowed herself to rest against him and he stiffened as she yawned and kept up the pretence for passers-bys It took another moment for him to tell himself that she was simply tired and leaning on him because of it. He allowed his arm to rest around her waist and he closed his eyes for a moment as they waited for the ferry.

He had to admit that the ride wasn't his favourite. He was tired and Amelia was slightly crabby with him when he asked her simple questions. He knew that the thought of travelling for hours on end didn't appeal to her. Then again, who would it appeal to? A new day had dawned and so had another twenty four hours of running away.

Jackson began to realise that it was getting to Amelia and he didn't know what to say to her to make any of it seem any better. He supposed that nothing he could say would make her feel any better. He supposed that it wasn't really in his place to comfort her. He was keeping her alive and that would do. Anything else was just uncalled for and unnecessary.

Her proximity to him was starting to take its toll. He'd begun to recognise the way she smelled and her annoying habit of pushing her glasses onto her nose and then tapping her fingers against her side like she was constantly nervous. It wasn't until he was on the plane when he saw how emotional she was becoming.

She'd just burst out crying into the bottle of water which he'd bought her at the airport. He looked around before looking back at her as people remained fixed up in their own business. He watched how her shoulders shook and her back arched as she leant forwards and the cries came out softly. He had to restrain himself from snapping at her to pull herself together. They were flying from Athens to London and then Jackson would discover where to go after that. He had thought about Australia. It was far enough away and vast enough. Then again, so was the whole of Europe.

"I can't do this," Amelia suddenly whimpered as the plane sat on the runway and she hastily reached for her seatbelt, her hands clasping at it as Jackson watched her. Quickly, he grabbed her hands into his and looked at her, the usual glare in his eyes gone as he did so. Amelia shook her head at him.

"I need to go, Jackson," she whispered to him. "I'm not cut out for this. None of this...I don't want to be on the run...I want to go home..."

"You won't get home, Amelia," Jackson spoke lowly to her as he felt the plane being pushed back from its parking station. "Listen to me, you can't get off and go home. They will kill you. Trust me."

"I'm scared," Amelia admitted to him, sitting on the edge of her seat as Jackson took the water and placed it in the holder in front of her seat, his hands still holding hers tightly as she looked at him with red rimmed eyes. "I want to go home. Why can't we explain any of this?"

"They won't give you the chance to explain," Jackson promised her and she gulped loudly at hearing him, her head shaking back and forth before Jackson allowed his hand to curve around her chin, his fingertips resting on her cheek as he did it. "They would kill you before you had the chance to say anything. I know...well...I can sympathise with how hard this is, Amelia. I know that you're just a food critic who wanted to go home for a barbeque and I wanted that for you. You know that I did. But, running off hysterically won't keep you alive and at the end of the day that's what you want, isn't it? You want to stay alive."

Amelia listened to him as he spoke and the plane stopped moving on the runway and she took a deep breath as he allowed himself a small smile in her direction and she nodded at him. She did trust him. For some unknown and godforsaken reason, she trusted him.

"Okay," Amelia agreed with her. "Okay...I'm sorry...Jesus...I must look a mess..."

"You look fine," Jackson said and she realised that was as much of a compliment as he was capable of. She lazily allowed her hand to rest on his at the top of her cheek. He didn't even do anything. He just sat there and allowed her to entwine her fingers into his and she looked down onto them with vacant eyes. Jackson cleared his throat and his Adam's apple bobbed up and then back down as Amelia leant back and he spoke again. "You look better than fine, actually."

Her eyes widened at hearing him say that and she remained mute, moving to rest her head on his shoulder and she closed her eyes. She needed to know that she wasn't alone during all of this, even if the man next to her was a murdering manager. But, he was there.

...

Jackson had watched as Amelia slipped into sleep and he felt himself doing the same thing, his hand still held inside of hers and his head had slipped down to rest on top of hers, his cheek feeling the smoothness of her blonde hair and his nose inhaling the deep scent. He never allowed himself to enjoy anyone else's company, never mind tolerate it. But, there he sat. He sat with her and for a moment he forgot about everything which was happening. He forgot what he had done and forgot that there were people who wanted nothing more than to see him die.

The plane began its descent down through the clouds and the pair of them stirred, sitting up and Amelia smiled briefly at him, her hand still holding onto his before they went to look out the window and Heathrow came into view, the clouds visible even in the month of summer. Jackson led Amelia from the airport, still cradling her fingers against his as they booked a hotel for the evening outside the airport, insisting they could travel once again the next day.

...

Jackson listened to the running water coming from the shower whilst he moved around the bedroom in the hotel, closing the curtains and locking the windows and doors whilst she freshened up.

The two of them hadn't exchanged words since they had agreed to stay in a hotel for that night and be on the first flight out in the morning. Amelia had told him that Australia was always somewhere she'd wanted to go and so that had been settled on. Jackson had bought readymade sandwiches and drinks from the shop next to the hotel. He tucked into one before he saw her walking out the bathroom, a white towel clinging around her midsection and her hair damp, dripping onto her shoulders as she bent down at her bag.

"You've been crying again," he observed and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, standing up again as she found clean underwear and pyjamas.

"I'm a woman," she told him simply. "We get hormonal."

"Don't I know it," Jackson said without any hint of a snort or sarcasm in his voice. Instead he was soft and too tired to say anything cocky. "You've got something in your hair."

Amelia pushed a hand through her blonde lock, but the white fluff remained stuck. Jackson stood opposite her, his hand moving through her hair as he found the white fluff, throwing it to the floor and then placing his hand softly onto her cheek whilst she held the towel with one hand and he felt her cheek heat up underneath his fingertips.

She didn't know what came over her in the next moment. One minute she was thinking rationally in the shower, deciding ways to get out of the mess and the next she was outside with Jackson and all train of thought had been lost as soon as he had pressed his hands against her skin. She moved upwards, slowly pressing her lips against his, the touch tender and ghostlike. She pulled back, shaking her head as Jackson continued to stare at her, his wide eyes seeming to widen as he thought about what had just happened.

"Sorry...Christ...I don't know what came over me," Amelia mumbled to him, turning out, but, he grabbed onto her wrist, turning her back to look at him, the pair of them staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity before they moved at the side time.

Jackson's arms slipped around her waist, pressing her tightly to him as his mouth descended onto hers and he bit down on her bottom lip lightly before she opened her mouth and his tongue tangled against hers as he felt her moving up and down against him. Quickly, his hands slipped onto her upper things, hoisting her into the air as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her back came into sudden contact with the wall.

"Oh God...Jackson..." she moaned out as his lips nipped at the flesh on her neck. "This is wrong. Jackson...this is wrong..."

"It doesn't feel it," Jackson told her, his other hand running down her side as he continued to kiss her smooth skin. "Tell me you want me to stop," he demanded her and she shook her head, gasping for breath again.

"No," she admitted. "No...I don't..."

"Good. I had no intention of doing so anyway," he informed her and that was the moment when Amelia knew she was well and truly deep in trouble. But there didn't seem to be a way out.


	14. Chapter 14

Amelia groaned as she woke up the next morning at the sound of a ringing phone. Her ears tried to block the sound out, but, she was having no such luck. She rolled over onto the other side of the bed to emptiness. There was nothing but crumpled sheets and an askew pillow. And then she heard noises from the bathroom and she realised what had happened the previous night. She picked the ringing phone up as her hand moved to her neck and rubbed up and down before the woman spoke down the phone to her.

"This is your wake up call, Mrs Jones," she was informed and Amelia grunted something incoherent in response before she hung up the phone and laid back down, her hand resting on her forehead as she did so.

"Morning," Jackson mumbled as he left the bathroom and saw her still in the bed. She looked up to him as he wore his simple black jacket over his green shirt and his black pants. Amelia sat up, pulling the cover up with her as the two of them stared at each other.

"Good morning," she spoke lightly back to him and Jackson coughed, walking around the room and pushing his clothes into his bag, wondering whether or not he should speak about their activities the previous night. No, he would let her make the first move. That's if she would.

Yet, Amelia was thinking the same as he was. She'd wait for him to talk about it. She had a feeling that he wouldn't though. The more she thought about it then the more she hated herself for doing it. He was the man who had tried to manipulate her into having her brother killed. He'd used her and had been willing to hurt her family. But she'd slept with him. She'd slept with him and now she was regretting it. Morally, she felt sick. When she looked at him she felt something different.

"Last night," Amelia blurted out quickly. "It was a mistake."

Jackson remained stood where he was, his back to her. He knew that was coming. He had a feeling that she would tell him that she regretted it. She'd feel guilty and say how she never wanted it to happen again. He didn't know why he had gone along with it. He was only a male and she was stood there in a tower. He knew there was something different. He just didn't want to admit to anything.

"I had a feeling that you'd say that," Jackson informed her and she stood up, dragging the sheet along with her as she continued to look at him.

"Didn't it mean...well...don't you think that it was a mistake?" she asked him and he shrugged nonchalantly. He couldn't get involved. He'd already been too involved the previous night.

"I don't think anything about it," Jackson told her. "It's in the past and if you regret it then fair enough. It won't happen again."

"That's not what I asked," Amelia snapped at him. "You didn't think anything about it?"

"What do you want me to say?" Jackson wondered from her, packing his bag whilst she stood, holding the sheet until her knuckled turned white and her face reddened with anger. Jackson also noted the way her neck turned red too. It happened when she was stressed. He had to keep telling himself not to look at her and notice things about her. He was losing sight on what was important and that was keeping himself alive. Not worrying about what Amelia was thinking.

"Do you want me to tell you that you were the best I've ever had?" Jackson barked at her and she remained silent, her lips parted as she gasped in disbelief. "Do you want me to tell you how I've fallen for you? Or how I want no one else but you?"

"No!" Amelia replied quickly. "I don't care because it doesn't mean anything to me, Jackson."

"So why do you want to know what it means to me?" Jackson snapped back at her. "If you're looking for someone to love you and tell you how wonderful you are then you've come to the wrong place, Amelia. It was just sex. You offered yourself and I didn't say no," Jackson spoke, the harshness in his voice uncalled for but necessary. She couldn't get to him.

"I don't care," Amelia hissed back, stomping her foot like a petulant child. "You're the man who has done nothing but ruin my life! You know that, don't you?"

"Yet you couldn't wait to get into bed with me last night. Tell me how that happens?" Jackson asked her, the sarcasm returning in his voice as Amelia shook her head quickly. "I can't work you out, Amelia. You know that it was nothing to me. There was no emotional connection."

"Same for me," she said, jutting her chin out in stubbornness. "In fact, I've had better," she said, knowing that she was being immature but not caring in the slightest. He rolled his eyes at hearing her, going into his bag and checking that his ticket and passport was there.

"Well, I doubt that," Jackson mumbled back to her and she shook her head.

"Why don't you just go?" Amelia snapped at him, almost looking like she was on the verge of tears. "You've said it yourself. You don't care for me so just go! Leave me alone!"

"You know what?" Jackson drawled out, tired of arguing with her over anything. "I might just do that."

"Do it!" Amelia snapped. "Go off to Australia, Jackson. You don't want to be here and I don't...I can't do this anymore...so just go...leave me alone..."

"Whatever you say," Jackson said lowly with a shake of his head. "We're done, Amelia. You want something which I can't be and I don't need your emotional state ruining my life."

"Go!" Amelia snapped at him, grabbing onto a pillow and throwing it at him whilst he remained quiet and glaring over at her. "Just go!"

"I'm going," Jackson responded. "I'm off."

"Good," Amelia huffed as she watched him walk out and slam the door on her. She sat back down on the bed and took a deep breath, urging herself to remain calm.

...

Jackson sat in the departure lounge his mind calm and quiet as he watched the people move around him. He'd left Amelia. He'd gone and left her. He knew that it had been inevitable. She couldn't tag along with him forever. He had to get rid of her and hopefully the firm would give her a chance to talk. Hopefully she'd manage to get home alive. But, she couldn't stay with him. He didn't have partners.

It was only as he stood at the boarding gate did he realise that he was wrong. She wouldn't survive without him and he couldn't...he couldn't let go. He swore to himself as he pushed people out of his way and moved back out of the departure lounge people watching him with intrigue as he began to run back to the hotel which they had stayed at. She couldn't have gone. He'd say sorry. He'd say that last night was...well...he supposed it was like nothing which he'd experience before. He just didn't want to hurt her. And being with him was a one way ticket to that emotion.

"Excuse me, miss," Jackson spoke when he reached the reception and the brunette looked up to him. "My wife and I had a room last night. Room twenty three."

"Oh, Mrs Jones," the woman clicked her fingers. "She checked out this morning after you'd left sir. She said that her brother was going to take her to the airport."

"Brother?" Jackson arched a brow and the woman nodded, wondering what happened between this man and his wife.

"Yes. He was tall and blonde. He seemed pleasant. Your wife did look quite upset though," the woman informed him. "Is everything okay, sir?"

"Yes," he lied, "everything is fine."

Jackson quickly turned away from her and moved out onto the street, the noise of planes taking off and landing filling his head as he thought about Amelia. He was too late for her. They'd taken her and he didn't know how to get her back.

...

A/N: So just as Jackson realises he cares, he loses her. So thank you to LivinJgrl123, Draegan88, esolo and trudes193 for reviewing the past few chapters! Let me know what you all think!


	15. Chapter 15

"Just tell us anything which you know about Jackson Rippner."

The demand was becoming increasingly tiresome to Amelia as she sat in the back of the black SUV which was riding through the streets of London. She had no idea where they were going or where she was. She just knew that something wasn't right. Jackson had told her that his firm would kill her straight away, but, they hadn't. She was beginning to wonder if she had a chance to get out of the mess she had found herself in.

"I don't know much about him," Amelia shrugged nonchalantly. The blonde man sat next to her was looking out of the window with sheer boredom. That was the only explanation which she could give to his look. She'd continued to stare at his tall and bulking frame, her eyes pleading with him to let her go. He was nothing like Jackson. They were complete opposites yet worked in the same firm.

"I find that hard to believe," he said back to her, his tone bitter as his blue eyes finally focused on her and she gulped once, shaking her head at him, pleading with him to understand. "You've certainly spent plenty of time with him. The two of you have been on a mad dash throughout Europe."

"It's like I keep telling you," Amelia groaned, "Jackson is a private person. He didn't tell me anything about himself. I promise you that. He just said that as long as I stick with him then I'm safe. What else could I do?"

"Nothing, it appears," the man replied to her. "Where is Rippner now?"

"I don't know," Amelia said. "We had a row and he left the hotel. I don't know where he went."

"What was the row about?"

"It was stupid," Amelia mumbled to him, her voice low and this time she was the one to look out of the window cautiously, biting down on her bottom lip as she thought about what they had argued about. When she looked back at it then it seemed stupid. It had just been sex.

Yes, it had been wonderful and more than she could have imagined. And now she wanted it to mean something. She hoped that it meant something. She sure as hell knew that it was something to her. Even her denial couldn't deny it.

"I'll be the judge of that," the man said to her and she shook her head.

"I was getting homesick," she lied. "I took it out on Jackson and he left. He told me that I could fend for myself."

"Ha," the man grunted, "look where that got you."

"I know," Amelia replied. "I'm stuck here with you and I have no idea what is going to happen. But I promise you that I know nothing about Jackson or what he does or what he did. He said nothing to me. All I want is to go home back to my mom and dad. I never asked for any of this to happen."

"Yes," the man mused, his hand scratching at the stubble forming on his chin as he did so. "Your parents are particularly upset at the moment, what with the loss of your brother."

Amelia remained silent, her eyes glaring at him as he looked back at her with the vaguest hint of amusement and she gulped, not sure if she was going to burst out crying or lunge forwards to hit the man in front of her.

"You didn't honestly think that you could save him, did you?" he asked her, wondering if she really was that naive. "We get the job done regardless of what happens. Rippner failed and I was there to pick up the pieces. It wasn't hard."

"You...you killed George?" she checked and he curtly nodded once at her.

"I assure you that it was swift and painless," he spoke as if that would help her get over the loss of her brother. "I cannot guarantee you the same safeguard if you continue with your un-cooperating."

"I don't know anything!" Amelia wailed at him and he rolled his soft eyes. "I'm telling you the truth! Jackson never said anything and I don't know where he is. Just let me go home!"

"That's not an option," he said, pressing buttons on a phone and quickly texting. "You see, we need to borrow you for a while. We think that you can lure Jackson to us."

"Why the hell would you say that?" Amelia grumbled. "He's not in love with me, for heaven's sake. He probably couldn't wait to get rid of me."

"Why else would he keep a mere tourist around for so long if he had no feelings for them?" the man retorted back to her whilst Amelia gave the inside of her cheek a good chewing to, thinking about what he had just said to her. "No, Rippner would have gotten rid of you at the first chance possible if he didn't fancy you. He's a loner and cares only for himself. You've got to him."

"You're totally wrong," Amelia said. It was the only thing she could think of saying in this situation. "Jackson will have skipped the country without me. He's not going to come back and save me."

"We'll see about that."

...

Jackson continued to walk aimlessly around the streets of London with nothing but the bag on his shoulder as luggage. He didn't know where he was going or what he was going to do. He just knew that being out in the public was the only way someone would notice him and that's what he wanted. If the firm noticed him then he'd be able to get back to Amelia. He knew that he should never have left her in the first place. It had been stupid, but, he'd been angry with her. Caring just caused people to get hurt. Did she not know that?

"Jackson."

The soft voice drew him out from the daze which he was in as he saw a car pull up against the curb, the window slightly rolled down and he saw her. She looked as if she had been crying, her eyes rimmed with red circles and the bags under them visible as her glasses sat on the end of her snivelling nose.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr Rippner."

The new voice was one which he didn't recognise. All he knew was that it couldn't be good. He pulled the door open to see a blonde man with his arm around Amelia's waist, a gun pressed against her side as she remained focused on him and him alone.

"Won't you join us?"

"What a pleasure that would be," Jackson simply said, climbing into the car and shutting the door as the doors automatically locked. "You can let her go. She doesn't know anything."

"That's funny," the man said, removing his arm from her and pushing her shoulder, forcing her across the seat and over to Jackson who was sat on the edge. "She said the same thing."

"Then you should let her go," Jackson replied and he allowed his hand to move onto her back as she leant against his side, the only place she wanted to be at that moment in time.

"I'm not letting either of you go," the blonde smirked. "Not now I've got you."

...

A/N: Thank you to LivinJgrl123 and trudes193 for reviewing!

Let me know what you think is going to happen!


	16. Chapter 16

"What are you doing rushing around the streets?" Amelia asked as soon as the car drew to a halt and the man who had been driving opened the doors, allowing Jackson to climb from the vehicle, but not without showing him the gun which he held in his hand. The blonde pushed Amelia out, her glasses almost falling from her face due to the sheer force of him as she stood on the pavement, her hand instantly reaching out and clasping onto Jackson's arm as he looked down at her.

"I went back to the hotel," he mumbled after being pushed in the shoulder by the blonde. He had to control his anger right then and there; wanting to do nothing more than hit the man for thinking that he could even touch him. "I came back to find you."

"Why?" Amelia asked and Jackson rolled his eyes, shrugging her hand from his arm and allowing it to fall back to her side before he grabbed back onto it, his fingers gently moving into hers as she looked up to him, not needing an answer for the question which she had just asked.

"When I came back then I found you were gone. I knew you'd be in trouble."

"And you decided to get yourself caught?"

"It was the only way back to you," Jackson whispered and Amelia moved closer to him, her shoulder bumping against his as they walked down a bunch of steps and looked around, an abandoned waste ground coming into view as they did so. A railway track ran over dirt, carriages stacked on them and rusty looking. A mesh fence hid the overgrown grass on the other side and it was clear there was nowhere to run to.

"You could have chosen a pleasanter location to kill us," Jackson informed the blonde who chuckled back at him, the driver standing by his side and grinning lightly, his green eyes scanning the couple before him.

"Location did come into play when we decided to kill you. We just didn't take into account the pleasant part," the blonde informed Jackson who shrugged awkwardly, his free hand moving into the back of his pants where he knew the gun was kept. He was a lousy shot. In fact, he was a terrible shot. That was one of the reasons why he just threatened people and did nothing else.

"Well," Jackson tapped his hand against his thigh as the driver loaded his gun and juggled it around in his hands. Amelia panicked, wondering if Jackson even had a master plan as she thought about a way to get themselves out of the mess which they had found themselves in.

"Well," the blonde spoke again and shrugged, circling the pair of them with ease before Jackson decided to make his move. Quickly, he grabbed the man around the neck, tugging the gun from his pants whilst Amelia shrieked once at the noise and Jackson's grip increased as the driver raised his gun to eye level and Jackson shook his head.

"You should always remember to do a rub down on whoever you're apprehending," Jackson hissed into his ear as the man's cheeks reddened and he struggled to move his fingers into his jacket, pleadingly searching for his gun before Jackson nodded at Amelia, motioning for her to get the gun before the man did. She did so, holding it tightly in her hands whilst Jackson looked at the driver.

"Drop the gun!" he demanded him and the blonde continued to gasp for breath, the gurgling noise escaping his lips as Amelia watched the scene unfold. "Drop it or I kill him."

The driver quickly dropped the gun, his hands held up in surrender before Jackson spoke again.

"Pick the gun up, Amy," he ordered her softly and she did so, the two killing devices inside of her hand. Jackson quickly released the blonde, kicking him to the floor before he pointed the gun at his head and Amelia continued to point one of them at the driver.

"Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't kill you right here and now," Jackson demanded from him.

"Someone will find you," the man panted. "Someone will kill you eventually, Rippner. Make no mistake about it."

"I don't intend to make the mistake," Jackson assured him. "You tell the firm to back off, do you understand me? Tell them to leave us alone and we won't cause them a problem."

"You know we can't do that," the blonde murmured. "Once that happens then they see we've gone soft. We can't have that."

Before Jackson could speak, a shot rang off and a loud swear was heard echoing through the waste area as Jackson turned to look at Amelia who was looking at the driver on the floor, an apologetic look on her face.

"I am so, so, sorry," she said out loud and Jackson couldn't help the grin which was forming on his legs as the man grabbed onto his leg, the hole in his trousers visible from a couple of metres away. "I thought that you were moving and I panicked and I shot."

"He's been hit in the leg," Jackson shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"I still feel bad," Amelia complained.

"Don't," Jackson told her with a roll of his eyes. "Seriously, I'm not going to feel bad about doing this."

"What?" Amelia asked him before she heard the shot and more groans of swearing escaping the blonde as he clutched onto his shoulder and Jackson turned back to look at her as she paled at seeing him.

"See?" he checked with her. "There is nothing to feel bad about."

"You asshole!" the blonde yelled at Jackson who shrugged, placing his gun away.

"That'll stop you from shooting for a while now," Jackson informed him. "Remember to tell the firm."

Jackson quickly grabbed onto Amelia's hand, pulling her back to the steps and leaving the men withering around on the ground as she looked at him with steady eyes.

"What now?" she asked and he sighed, running his hand through his hair as they walked back onto the main streets and Jackson saw the car which they had been in. He quickly smashed a window with a stone and Amelia kept look out as he opened the door, thanking God that his bag and money was still in the back seat where they had made him leave it.

"We go back to the hotel and pick your stuff up. Then we get on the first flight to Australia like planned, okay?" Jackson checked and she nodded as he allowed her through the door first. She slid over to sit on the passenger seat whilst he bent down to look at the cables under the car.

"You know how to hotwire a car?" Amelia checked with him and he allowed a rare smile to escape his plum lips as the car started after a couple of moments and he slammed the door shut.

"I wasn't exactly the well behaved child at school," he said and Amelia chuckled, looking over to him and imaging that he was right as he drove through the streets of London at a slow crawl due to the traffic.

"Mr and Mrs Jones," the receptionist spoke as soon as she saw Jackson and Amelia walk back into the hotel and she stood up, leaning over the desk whilst they made their way to her. "Your room was cleared an hour ago. We needed it for someone else and we weren't sure where you'd gone. There was no number for us to contact you on either."

"No worries," Jackson told her with a confident smile.

"We did have your things packed into your case, Mrs Jones. And your satchel is here too."

"Thanks," Amelia said as the woman handed her the bag and Jackson held it in his hands whilst Amelia grabbed her satchel and placed it onto her shoulder. Jackson squared up the remainder of the bill before the pair of them rushed across to the airport, booking their place on the last flight of the night.

"Thank you," Amelia randomly said, dropping the magazine she had bought onto her crossed legs as she looked to the side where Jackson sat, The Times sprawled out on his knee before he glanced back across to her.

"For saving your life again?"

"It seems you've been doing that quite a bit," Amelia said and Jackson chuckled, looking back onto his paper as his hair fell out from behind his ears. "No, thank you for coming back for me."

"I went back to the hotel after sitting here for half an hour, thinking back to what you had said," Jackson whispered lowly and Amelia strained to hear him as he smirked to himself, his eyes still glancing at the paper in front of him. "And I realised that I could have handled it better and that you weren't going to get anywhere on your own. What else could I do apart from come back?"

"Left me and gone to Australia," Amelia answered and he snorted, shaking his head and scoffing as he did so.

"What fun would that have been?" Jackson replied. "No. I needed to come back for you. It's a good job I did. So from now on we have no more arguments and no more splitting up."

"Deal," Amelia agreed, looking back at her magazine.

"Last night," Jackson spoke lightly. "It wasn't a mistake. I think it was the best night I've had."

Amelia quickly glanced across to him as he remained fixed on his newspaper and she felt her lips twitch upwards.

"Agreed."

...

A/N: How smooth is Rippner? Very, indeed. Anyway, thank you to LivinJgrl123, trudes193 and esolo for reviewing the previous chapter. Reviews are appreciated guys!


	17. Chapter 17

Jackson had to cope with Amelia's constant sleeping all the way on the first flight to Australia. He wasn't surprised when he saw how she was tired. Everything had been going wrong for the pair of them and a long flight seemed like quite a good thing at the time. He knew that sounded slightly strange, but, he was pleased that they had a full day to catch up on sleep, even if the seats weren't the most spacious of things.

Somehow, Amelia had found it acceptable to sprawl herself out over Jackson's seat too. She'd lifted the armrest up and taken to resting her head on his shoulder, pulling her feet up against her chest and then falling to sleep. Jackson had been stiff at first, remaining silently pouting as she slept. And then he'd give in. He'd finished drinking his tea and then allowed himself to fall to sleep.

"Jackson," Amelia whispered as soon as she awoken and saw him sleeping. They were about to touch down in Singapore to catch another flight. Jackson stirred and looked across to her as she smiled weakly at him and he sat up tall, groaning as he went.

"Are you okay?" she checked up on him and he nodded once, his neck feeling stiff as he pushed it to the side with his hand, trying to get the crick out of it before he felt the plane descend and his head felt slightly woozy as the clouds moved down.

"I've been thinking," Amelia suddenly whispered to him and he looked across to her as she rested her hands into her lap and looked across to him, a pool of moisture forming in her eyes as she did so. Jackson arched a brow, remaining silent and waiting expectantly for her to tell him what was wrong with her. She finally did speak when she realised that he wasn't going to ask her what was wrong.

"I need to go home," she whispered and Jackson had to hold his eyes where they were. Did she have a death wish? He was beginning to wonder. "My brother is dead. My parents think that I could be and I have no way out of this except for living on the run with you. I can't do it, Jackson. I can't do it anymore."

"You're being irrational," Jackson spat out to her. "How many times are we going to have this conversation?"

"I'm serious, Jackson," Amelia hissed back at him, her eyes narrowing in his direction. "I've had time to think and I need to go. You have to let me go."

"How can I?" Jackson checked with her. "I can't let you go. I can't let you go back and die."

"I know that this is hard, Jackson," Amelia said to him and he shook his head. "I know that we've been through a lot...and you came back for me...but...they're my parent's. They are my mom and dad. My brother's already dead and I need to see them."

"If you go back then you'll be buried next to your brother," Jackson told her, his voice slightly snide as he did so. "I can tell you that for sure."

"Well it can't be as bad as living on the run, can it?" Amelia checked and Jackson shrugged nonchalantly at her, not sure what to say to her as he did so. "I need to go home, Jackson. I need to go and see them. Surely you can understand that."

"And if I said no?" Jackson asked and Amelia shrugged as the plane finally hit the tarmac and they were flung about in their seats before the plane slowed down and began to crawl to its parking position.

"There's nothing which you can say to make me change my mind," Amelia promised him. "You can go onto Australia or you can come with me. I don't mind."

"Why would I come with you?" Jackson asked, a dark chuckle escaping his lips as Amelia looked at him, her eyes showing some vague form of hurt as she looked at him. She never knew what was going on with Jackson. She tended to think that as soon as they took one step forwards then it seemed logical for them to take a few steps back.

"You wouldn't," Amelia informed him. "We're clearly on a different page to each other."

"What do you mean?" Jackson wondered and she rolled her eye at him. "We both agreed that we had a good night and that I care enough to keep you safe. I'm not coming back to the States, Amelia. I'm going somewhere where they can't find me. I can only keep you safe as long as you stay with me."

"And we both know that I can't," Amelia whispered as the seat belt sign went off and Jackson shook his head at hearing her.

"I can't make you," Jackson told her. "I can only implore for you to stay with me."

"I...Jackson...I can't..." Amelia shook her head as the pair of them stood up and he handed her the satchel which she had.

"I've told you plenty of times what will happen if you leave me," Jackson said and began to lead her down the aisle as she nodded and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "There is no more that I can do, Amelia."

"Well, I'll try to be careful," she promised him. "They might not know that I've gone back if they think I'm on the run. I can ask for police protection."

"Thanks," Jackson said sarcastically. "So you can go home and tell the police what I did."

"I won't mention you," Amelia promised him. "Honestly, Jackson. I won't say anything."

"What about when they ask who held you hostage on that train?"

"I'll tell them that I don't know you," Amelia whispered, grabbing onto his free hand and squeezing it tightly, stopping him form walking off as he turned back to look at her, the pair of them locked in a staring contest. She shook her head at him whilst he continued to search her face.

"I won't say anything about you, Jackson. I promise."

"And why would you do that?" Jackson wondered and Amelia rolled her eyes at him, dropping her fingers from his as she did so.

"Why do you think?" she wondered. "Jackson...I...I don't just sleep with someone who I don't like...okay? Jesus...after everything which you've done I still care about you. More than I even care to admit."

"So why are you going then?" Jackson asked her.

"I care about my parent's just as much," she shrugged. "They deserve to see that one of their kids is still...well...they need to know the truth...and I need to go back...I have to do it."

"Will nothing I say persuade you to come onto the next flight out of here with me?"

"No," Amelia spoke back, standing up tall on her toes and kissing him on the cheek. She stepped back down and pulled back before Jackson wrapped his long fingers around her wrist and quickly drew her closer to him.

"I don't think you can go on that note," Jackson said before he lowered his head and swiftly kissed her, his hands wrapping around her waist as people walked around them, looking on with amusement and disparagement. Amelia placed her hands onto his upper arms, holding tightly onto him before she began to kiss him back.

"Okay," Amelia said, her forehead resting against his and her breath tickling his cheek as the pair of them looked at each other. "I've got to go and so do you."

"I know," Jackson said, not making an intention to move as Amelia pulled away from him.

"Look after yourself," she urged him, turning around to walk the right way and moving from Jackson, knowing that the tears were going to be in full flow in another minute.

...

A/N: So thank you to LivinJgrl123 and esolo for reviewing!

Let me know what you all think!


	18. Chapter 18

"I've been on the run with him," Amelia spoke as she sat in the living room, her mother on one side of her and her father stood behind the sofa, his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes looking onto the back of his daughter's head, her dirty blonde hair constantly being pulled at due to stress as she looked at the officer sat in the armchair.

"And you don't know where he's gone?" he checked and Amelia shook her head at him.

"No," she said. "I don't know where he has gone."

"And he never told you his name?" he also checked, slightly suspicious with the way she was behaving about the man she had been spending time with. How could he not have told her his name?

"He never told me his real name. He said that he used false aliases to remain hidden and so I never questioned him in the slightest. There was no point in arguing with him. He wouldn't have told me anything."

"And this organisation who he works for?"

"No idea," Amelia said, not being helpful in the slightest. She had told them the vague things which Jackson had told her but she hadn't said anything about him. She hadn't told them where he was or who he was. She had given him her word.

"Is this not slightly pointless, Officer?" Amelia's mother asked her. "Amelia doesn't know anything and if she did then she would tell you. Wouldn't you, sweetie?"

"Yes," Amelia agreed. "Honestly, there is nothing more to add."

"Fine," the Officer gave in and stood up, clapping his hands against his upper thighs as he did so. He slowly moved into his pocket and pulled out his card, handing it to Maria Drayton whilst Jack Drayton watched on, his voice silent whilst he thought about what had happened to his daughter. She'd been gone for multiple days and she knew nothing. He wondered what had truly happened.

"If there is anything which anyone can remember then please don't hesitate to call," he said and Jack coughed once, walking away from the living room and escorting the Officer out.

"Darling," Maria said, angling her body to face her daughter's on the sofa as Amelia sat back, sighing loudly and running the back of her hand over her forehead. She closed her eyes and thought about Jackson, wondering where he had gone and if she would ever see him again. She'd spent the entire flight back home sobbing to herself and thinking about him, wondering what would have happened if she had stayed with him. "Are you sure there is nothing you remember about him? You did spend a lot of time together."

"No," Amelia said firmly, standing up and pulling at the tight white fitted blouse she wore as she dragged her jeans up over her stomach. She was tired and didn't want to talk about Jackson. She didn't want to mention him. "Look, what happened was...ridiculous...and I'm sorry...I do blame myself about what happened to George...I..."

"No," Maria stood up, drawing her daughter into a hug and holding her tightly to her whilst Amelia rested her head onto her mother's shoulder, sobbing quietly whilst Maria stroked the back of her head. "It wasn't your fault. None of this was your fault. George...he was stupid...and we lost him...we lost him to money...but none of this was anything to do with you. You did all that you could, my darling. Don't forget that."

Her tears for George slowly subsided until she sniffed to herself and moved away from her mother, grabbing a tissue from the box on the coffee table when she looked up and saw her father walk into the room, his hand resting against his plump lips and his eyes moving over to his daughter, thinking about what could have happened to her whilst she was gone.

Jack continued to watch as Amelia dabbed her eyes and looked out of the large bay window. She looked lost in thought and not like she was mourning the loss of her brother. He could see that there was something deeper rooted inside of her. There was something which she wasn't telling them. Amelia had always been a daddy's girl. The two of them were practically identical and he liked to think that he knew her better than anyone.

"Amy," Jack whispered from the doorway and her eyes found his, still tearing up as she looked in his direction. "Darling...the man who took you...what happened?"

"Nothing," Amelia answered too quickly for her father's liking. Her mother continued to watch as Amelia tapped her foot against the floor. She was being scrutinised under their gazes and she wasn't sure how to handle it. She could hardly admit what had happened between her and Jackson. "Nothing happened. Honestly."

"You can tell us anything, baby," her mother promised and Amelia shook her head, a shaking hand running through her hair as she did so.

"There is nothing to tell," she promised her mother. "I'm going to go up for a bath."

"Okay, sweetheart," her mom nodded, her eyes narrowed and her lips pushed in a firm line as she thought about her daughter and what she could possibly have endured and her eyes met with Jack's. Amelia swept past her father in the doorway, rushing up the steps and locking herself in the bathroom, some slight solace coming to her from being alone.

...

Jackson sat on his flight to Australia, his fingers lightly tapping on the armrest between him and the man next to him. His eyes were fixed firmly at the clouds in the sky and his fist rested against his chin. Amelia was constantly on his mind and it was doing his head in. How did she manage to infiltrate his mind like that? He only hoped that she'd gotten home and managed to save herself. He doubted the agency would leave her alive.

He just couldn't picture it. He knew that she had made the wrong decision but nothing which he said would persuade her otherwise. She was convinced she had done the right thing and that the police would look after her. Amelia was a stubborn individual and Jackson knew that she wouldn't listen to him when she had a firm decision settled on.

He shook his head as he thought about what to do. He could go after her. He could go back and save her. But, she didn't want saving.

She made that obvious when she left him. But, Jackson was never very good at following orders and doing what he was supposed to do. Everyone truly knew that.

...

Amelia wrapped herself into the long nightshirt which she owned after she had bathed. She dropped onto her bed, crossing her legs and looking around her room. Nothing had changed. She could see that nothing had changed in the time she had been away. The night had slowly engulfed the house and she hadn't moved from her room after changing from her bath.

Her parents had been up individually and collectively, telling her that nothing was her fault and that her brother shouldn't have been stupid. They assured her that no one would hurt her and a police cruiser sat at the front of the house to make sure of that. She had nodded encouragingly; just assuring her parents that she was tired and needed a good night of sleep.

But, she had lain on her back, her head against the familiar pillows and sleep couldn't overcome her. The worry of Jackson's firm coming after her was eating up at her and the general worry of Jackson taking care of himself worried her too. All in all, she just couldn't help but worry.

That was until she heard something hit her balcony window door. Her eyes opened wide and her head snapped to the side, looking at the doors which were firmly shut. The net curtain covering the panes of glass was still intact and she couldn't see a figure from the small balcony she owned.

Slowly she stood up, walking over to the window before she jumped back at hearing something else hit the window. She couldn't help but jump back, swearing under her breath before she slowly turned the key in the door and then shook her head, backing away and realising how stupid she must be to open the door. How many horror movies had she watched and told them not to open the door?

As she moved back to her bedroom door the door rattled and she looked back at it, a tall figure shining through due to his reflection and she scurried to the door handle, wanting to do nothing more than run to her parents room in fear.

"Amelia," a soft voice spoke and she relaxed easily, shutting her bedroom door again and walking over to the patio doors, unlocking them and opening them quickly before seeing him stood there in his usual attire of black pants and blazer along with a blue shirt.

"What are you doing here?" Amelia whispered as he moved into her room, shutting the doors behind him and locking them to make sure no one else could get in. His hair was ruffled up and he looked a bit of a mess with some leaves stuck in his hair due to the fact he had to climb up a trellis to get to her room.

"I came to get you back," Jackson replied to her as she heard movement from down the hallway. She grabbed onto his hands, flinging the door to her wardrobe open as Jackson continued to look slightly puzzled.

"Just hide," she pleaded with him and he rolled his eyes but stepped into her wooden wardrobe before she shut the door on him and peeked through the small gap between the doors as Amelia pulled at her nightshirt on her body and a knock came through her door.

"Amy?" her father's voice asked and Amelia moved to the door and opened it as Jackson remained mute, seeing the elder man look into his daughter's room for anything suspicious.

"Yeah?" Amelia asked her father, keeping the door shut as much as she could.

"Is everything okay? Your mother and I thought that we heard something."

"No," Amelia said. "I've just been reading, dad. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," she promised him. "It must have been the wind."

"Must have been," Jack said, blinking profusely and shaking his hand, tightening the bow on the belt of his dressing gown before pushing a hand through his hair. "Sleep well, Ames."

"You too, dad," Amelia said before shutting her door and waiting a moment to hear her father shut their bedroom door. Jackson pushed himself out from the wardrobe after looking at all of her different clothes and he smirked softly.

"It's like you're some teenager hiding your boyfriend," he grumbled and she rolled her eyes at him as he moved around her room, taking note of everything inside of it.

"No," Amelia said. "I'm a young woman hiding the man who wanted to kill my brother from my parents."

Jackson nodded once, cocking his head to the side as he did so.

"Fair enough."

"So why did you come back here?" Amelia wondered, sitting on her bed, crossing her legs underneath her whilst Jackson picked up a snow globe and shook it.

"For some strange reason I couldn't just leave you here to die," Jackson told her. "I guess I've been caring for you for too long."

"I have police protection," Amelia promised him and he scoffed at hearing her, looking at the photo montage on her notice board of her during college.

"And they're that good that I managed to sneak past them; aren't they?" Jackson said and Amelia remained silent, her lips pushed in a firm line as she did so. He did have a point.

"So what did you plan to do when you got here?" Amelia wondered as he looked at her and her friends in some club, pressed up against each other and smiling widely into the camera, each of them holding onto a pitcher of a cocktail.

"Persuade you to come back with me so that you can stay alive."

"I can't, Jackson," Amelia whispered and he shook his head, moving his eyes from the photos until he settled himself down onto the edge of the bed, looking at her.

"Yes, you can."

"Jackson, how can I run away from my parent's with you?" Amelia asked him, her arms flapping by her side as she did so and the manager had to bite down his tongue from snapping at her. Kidnapping her seemed like a possible outcome. "If they ever found out what I did...how I feel...they'll never forgive me and they're my parents."

"They don't need to know," Jackson promised her. "Come with me now and they don't need to know."

"Why are you so persistent?" Amelia hissed at him and he rolled his eyes at her, quickly shrugging.

"Because you've managed to make me care for you," Jackson said, blaming his feelings entirely on her. She wasn't surprised. He was the type of man to do that. He twisted things until he got his own way. "And I couldn't stay away no matter how much I tried."

"It's been just over a day, Jackson. You didn't try very hard," she told him and he shrugged again. He had an unusual habit of brushing aside her comments when he didn't want to listen to them. "Besides, I can't come with you. I told you."

"If you stay here then you will die," he promised and she gulped, trying to bring herself not to cry. She didn't need him to see her in the state she was in. "Tell me that you didn't think about coming with me."

"Jackson," she sighed his name, looking to the side of her at the bedside cabinet where her glass of water sat. "You know that I did," she whispered. "Of course I thought about coming with you. How could I not?"

"Then do it," he urged her. "I told you before that we should stick together and I meant it. You're still a thorn in my side, but, you're in my side, Amelia."

"What a romantic proposition," Amelia said; her voice full of sarcasm and Jackson chuckled, his hand resting on her cheek.

"I'm not one for the romance," he informed her. "Your parents would understand-"

"-What?" she snapped, louder than she had intended to. "How can you even say that?"

"Because they will do whatever they can to keep their daughter safe and your only way to stay safe is by sticking with me," Jackson said.

"And you don't have ulterior motives?"

"Maybe one," Jackson told her with some tone of flirtation and Amelia smiled softly, moving her cheek into his hold.

"I can't," she continued to speak and Jackson sighed, moving closer to her, pushing her to lay back onto the pillows as he hovered above her, his hands skimming down to her neck.

"You can," Jackson assured her. "Don't die here, Amelia. Don't wait for them to come and get you. Come with me."

"No," Amelia replied and Jackson kissed her forehead, his lips moving down to her neck as Amelia withered around underneath him, her eyes rolling back into her head as he bit down on her sensitive skin and she moaned lightly. "We can't do this here, Jackson." She quickly spoke. "My parents are down the hall."

"Come with me and we can do it anywhere we want," Jackson promised her and she smiled softly.

"Give me tonight," Amelia said to him, pushing him from her and he rolled onto his back, closing his eyes in defeat. "Give me tonight to think about it and I will give you my answer tomorrow."

"Fine," Jackson agreed to her terms and conditions whilst he settled himself down onto her bed and she arched a brow in his direction whilst he continued to sense her staring at him. "I'm just going to have a nap on a comfortable bed because I've been travelling for days on end. I'll be gone before your parents wake up either with or without you."

Amelia sighed but moved to lay beside him, her head resting on his shoulder and she closed her eyes, hitting the lamp on her table as she did, unable to think about anything other than how content she felt.

...

A/N: Neglected this story for a bit but got some inspiration for it so decided to update! Please do review!


	19. Chapter 19

Jackson lay beside Amelia with his arm draped across her waist as her back pressed against his chest. His eyes were wide open as his breathing remained calm and steady, giving off the illusion that he was sleeping soundly. Amelia wasn't as convincing as he was. Her breathing was ragged and her eyes were plastered onto the wall across from her. Her stomach churned the empty contents of it and her heart was pounding against her chest. The smell of Jackson's cologne in her nose was intoxicating her and clouding her judgement as she thought about the ultimatum which had been issued.

Did she go with him?

Or did she stay with her parents? They were the people who had raised her and would do anything to keep her safe. Yet, there she was, sleeping in the arms of the man who had aided her brother's death and feeling content with herself. They'd be sick if they knew he was down the hall from them. Amelia did like Jackson. She knew that she did and she wasn't even going to attempt to deny it.

"If I come," she suddenly spoke, her voice a mute whisper in the darkness of the bedroom. She knew that Jackson was awake; she could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head and his grip hadn't loosened on her since he had rested his arm over her body.

Jackson's ears suddenly pricked up as his thumb stroked against the material of her pyjamas and Amelia closed her eyes for a second.

"What about if you come with me?" Jackson enquired from her.

"If I come then do you think that my parents will be safe?" Amelia asked him. "They won't come after my mom and dad, will they?"

"It's you they want dead," Jackson said, his voice harsher than he had intended and he felt her contract against his body, a spasm seeming to move through her spine; the mere thought of someone wanting her dead enough to make her turn cold. "They wouldn't go after your parent's."

"And you can promise me that?" Amelia wondered from him and he shrugged awkwardly against her.

"I can't promise you anything about them. I just know that if you stay here with this terrible security then your life will be ended and if your parent's were to get in the way then the firm wouldn't hesitate over killing them. I promise you that, Amelia."

"Okay," Amelia suddenly said to him, realising that hesitation would only make her mind feel worse. It was a quick decision and she may come to regret it, but, she didn't at that moment in time. She'd explain everything to her parent's. She'd write a letter for them and tell them everything. She'd even mention Jackson if she was going to do this to them. She couldn't help but feel slightly pathetic. She was running away again. Was this all life was going to be? Constant running.

"Okay?" Jackson spoke lowly and Amelia rolled over, turning to face him, her hands resting against his chest as he twirled a strand of her curled hair around his finger.

"I'll come with you," she declared.

"Why the sudden change of mind?"

"I told you that I'd think about it."

"A while ago you were adamant that you were coming nowhere with me," Jackson reminded her and she rolled her eyes at him before playing with the material of his shirt, her eyes focused on that instead of his blue eyes.

"A while ago I thought that I was maybe safe here. Stupid thing to think really, isn't it? Nowhere is considered safe anymore," Amelia informed him and he chuckled lowly, his eyes closing as he wanted to do nothing but sleep. He was exhausted from all of the travelling and Amelia's bed was extremely comfortable. But, sleep wasn't happening for him.

"We should be going as soon as possible," Jackson told her, patting her back once and then untangling himself from the bed and standing up, his limbs wooden and tight as Amelia began to potter around her room, grabbing onto clothes and feebly attempting to stop herself from hyperventilating at the thought of what she was about to do. With Jackson with her she felt safe. It was strange and unexplainable.

"What are you doing?" he wondered as she sat down to her desk and quickly ripped some paper from a notebook she'd had since college. Writing down the words was going to be hard, the actual action even harder.

"I'm leaving them a letter. They deserve the truth if I'm going to do this to them," Amelia whispered and continued her writing, ignoring Jackson as he huffed loudly with annoyance. But, he did know that her doing this would help to keep her mind at ease. And he was all for keeping her quiet when he needed to.

...

Amelia kept her head down as she wondered down the terminal with Jackson beside her, his hand held in hers as her satchel rested against her other side. She continued to sweep at her fringe with hesitation as nerve fluttered through her stomach. Jackson remained quietly confident; his free hand in his pocket whilst his eyes looked forward and occasionally glanced down to look at Amelia and her silence. The morning was fast approaching, but, by the time the sun rose they would be out of the way.

"Stop looking so nervous," Jackson suddenly hissed down to her and she looked up to him, his piercing gaze moving into her timid one. "There is nothing to be worried about. We've been doing this for a while."

"I'm aware," Amelia complained, striding beside him in her black flats. "I need to go and use the bathroom anyway."

"There's one when we are in the departure lounge," Jackson said and grabbed his passport and ticket from his pocket as they approached security. Amelia moved into her bag and dragged her passport out, the pair of them remaining silent as they moved down the line of travellers. Once through Jackson pointed Amelia to the bathroom and stood outside the door, his hands in his pockets as his eyes continued to roam up and down the terminal, looking for any sign of danger.

He remained silent, knowing that they were safe, yet, paranoia struck him. It was a trait which he would never abandon. It had served him well until he fell for his mark.

"Okay?" he checked with Amelia as soon as she left the bathroom. He couldn't help but notice how she had paled. Her cheekbones seemed more prominent and her eyes were darting around as she nodded. He could tell that something was stressing her out. He just didn't know what.

"I'm fine," she promised, not looking him dead in the eye as she watched a plane hurtle down the runway. Jackson scrutinised her for a second, deciding not to push her as he took a seat on a mesh bench and she sat beside him, her fingernails taking a chewing to as she realised she was late for her period one more time.

...

A/N: I know that I haven't updated in a long time but uni is mental so please do review and let me know what you think!


	20. Chapter 20

Jackson occasionally glanced across to Amelia as she remained seated and intent on staring anywhere but back at him. She could feel his gaze focus on her and she did her best to ignore him and play ignorant to his questioning stare. How could she tell him that she might be pregnant with his child? It could maybe be all in her imagination. She was stressed and that could be an explanation as to why she was late. But, deep down, she knew that probably wasn't the answer.

She'd forgot to take her birth control pills ever since she'd been dragged into this mess and she'd also had unprotected sex with him. She'd been stupid enough to have unprotected sex with the man who had tried to kill her brother and had now basically forced her to live a life on the run to protect those closes to her.

"The thing about my job," Jackson suddenly drawled and snapped Amelia out of the ghost like trance which she had been in. "I examine people for a living. I can read people easily-"

"-Don't start, Jackson," Amelia hissed at him, turning to glare at him for a moment as she rolled her eyes in the process of doing so. "You can't read me. That's not what people do in relationships."

Jackson froze, an eyebrow rose up his forehead as he watched her huff and turn to look back out of the window. He leant forwards and turned his torso to the side, looking onto her as she remained adamant about looking away.

"Relationship?" he asked her with a stern voice. "You think that is what this is?"

"I don't know what this is," Amelia snapped back at him, attracting a couple of stares as she did so. Jackson looked around as people went back to their own business and his cold eyes moved back onto Elizabeth. She looked at him with narrowed eyes before speaking again; "How am I supposed to know what this is? You came back for me? I think we've gone beyond the stage of kidnapper and hostage."

Jackson shook his head, leaning back in his seat as he folded his arms and closed his eyes. He wondered why she was acting the way she was. But, then again, she was an emotional wreck and anything could set her off. Amelia took a swift glance in his direction before feeling her cheeks redden and she stood up. He was so infuriating.

"I'm going for a walk," Amelia mumbled before she stood up and walked off through the departure lounge. Jackson watched her go, leaving her to her own devices. There was no point in following her and turning a small annoyance into a high end feud.

Amelia took a deep breath as she stood near the window and leant her forehead against the glass, her arms wrapping around her stomach, the thought of something growing inside of her enough to freak her out. She inhaled a sharp breath and closed her eyes for the moment. She knew that she probably shouldn't have snapped at Jackson. He was just so annoying when he began his interrogation on her. She didn't need it at that moment in time.

And she didn't know if she wanted a relationship with Jackson or not. She supposed she must want something from him if she was willing to run away with him. Yes, he was safe, but, there was something else. She'd slept with him and he'd held her. Everything was messed up. Simplicity was not the route which her life was taking.

"What's wrong?"

Amelia jumped as she felt his hand rest onto her hip and he stood behind her, his other hand on the small of her back. She leant back against him gently, her head resting on his chest as she took a sharp breath. He was trying to be nice. Why couldn't she just see that? Fighting wasn't on his agenda and if he had to be...well...sweet and caring...then he'd have a go.

"Ames," Jackson whispered her name into her ear. "Just talk to me. I don't want to fall out about this."

"We're not going to fall out," Amelia said quickly, turning around in his hold as she shifted her satchel further onto her shoulder. He adjusted the holdall he had as he remained staring down at her. "I'm fine. There is nothing wrong."

Jackson sighed as soon as she spoke and he resisted the need to roll his eyes.

"That's a blatant lie," he snapped back, realising that kindness wasn't really the thing which he did well. He didn't need messing around.

"You need to learn when to believe me and when not to," Amelia told him. "It isn't healthy not to trust someone you're living with."

"I'd hardly class what we do as living, would you?" Jackson said, the question deemed to be rhetorical as Amelia removed herself from his hold and shook her head. She continued to stare at him, wondering whether or not she should tell him her suspicions. She should wait until she did a test. But, she couldn't get a test without him being with her. He would never leave her side.

"If I tell you what I think is wrong then you have to promise me that you won't freak out," Amelia whispered and Jackson shook his head.

"Tell me first and then I will determine the answer to that question," he replied, remaining cautious as per usual. Amelia groaned in exasperation before tapping her foot nervously against the floor.

"If I tell you then I know you will freak out. It's pretty obvious," Amelia informed him. "I'm freaking out at the thought of it."

"Amelia," Jackson warned her. "Just tell me."

"I...well...I think...I'm not sure...but, I could be..." Amelia babbled out to him, noting the departure board change for their flights which was now boarding. "The flight is loading," she told him, trying to push past him. But, he wasn't having any of it. He pushed his arm out, stopping her from escaping as he drew her backwards and she folded her arms.

"We're not boarding any plane until you tell me what is wrong," Jackson assured her, his chin jutted out in stubbornness. "Go on."

"I missed my period," Amelia mumbled suddenly, her hand resting onto her forehead as her eyes glanced down onto the floor. "I missed my period and I didn't know what to do, okay?"

Jackson remained mute as he took in what she had just told him. Her eyes moved up to look at him as he stared out the window as a plane landed onto the tarmac and Amelia coughed once, her hand resting over her mouth as she pulled away from him and she adjusted the satchel which sat on her shoulder.

"We should go for the plane," Amelia said to him as she heard their flight number ring out once more, informing them that they had one more chance to board their flight. Jackson followed her as she walked off down the departure lounge to where the queue to the flight was slowly disappearing.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't I tell you what?" Amelia hissed at him, delving into his bag and grabbing her passport and boarding ticket as Jackson did the same for him. "I only thought about half an hour ago! I forgot that I haven't taken my pill, okay? What with running around continents!"

"You just forgot to take it?" Jackson hissed at her, his head bent down so that he could look at her and she glowered at him, handing the air hostess her ticket as Jackson handed the male next to her his and the pair of them moved through the tunnel on the way to the plane. "How can you just forget to take it?"

Amelia took a moment to compose her thoughts before running a hand through her hair. "I just did, okay? It isn't like I did this on purpose."

"Really?" Jackson snorted; the shock and annoyance taking over him as he shook his head.

"This is a big enough thing already, Jackson," Amelia snapped at him, jabbing her finger at him as the pair of them stood still in the tunnel for a moment and allowed other people to pass them. "I don't need you making me feel any worse than I feel! I know that this isn't ideal, okay?"

"Ideal!" Jackson snorted the word in disgust. "What part of you thought that?"

"Sarcasm isn't needed," Amelia promised him. "I'll take a test when we get back, okay? Then we're not going to be running about like headless chickens."

"Damn true," Jackson told her. "You're taking a test as soon as possible. I can't believe you."

"It takes two to tango," Amelia reminded him. "We weren't exactly sensible, were we?"

"Apparently not," Jackson grumbled.

"Ma'am, sir," the air hostess spoke to them from down the tunnel and the pair of them looked at each other. "We're ready to go now. If you'd like to step inside the plane."

"We're going," Jackson said, grabbing Amelia by the arm and pulling her into the plane as she fought from his hold. "I'm telling you now that we're going to sort this mess out...One way or another."

...

A/N: Someone isn't very happy, is he? Well, I thank all of my reviewers so do let me know what you think so far! More to come later!


	21. Chapter 21

Amelia had nothing to say to Jackson as she sat beside him on the flight, her eyes looking out of the window and onto the clouds which they flew past. She didn't know what Jackson had meant when they had been in the tunnel. He'd told her that they would sort this out one way or another. What did that even mean? Being with Jackson was like living with a riddle. He never made any sense to her and she never really knew what to say to him.

Jackson had remained quiet too, thinking about the news which had just been dropped to him. He could be a father in nine months time. He could have a son or a daughter. The thought made him pale slightly as his blue eyes quickly glanced across to Amelia who had her glasses resting on the edge of her nose as her eyes looked ready to fall closed at any moment in time. He shook his head, his hands balled up into fists as he looked at the couple who were sat across the way from them in the middle of the plane, a small child between them as they doted on it.

He shuddered at the mere thought of having to look after a child. He'd never wanted children. He'd never cared for anything mundane like a family life. Then again, he'd never cared for anyone until she sat down beside him in Coach Three, Seat Twenty Two.

He often wondered if his life would be simpler if he'd never met Amelia.

"Is that why you came with me?" Jackson asked her, snapping her out of the daydream which she had immersed herself in. She looked at him with a cocked head and wide eyes as he shook his head to himself, his hand moving over his cheeks.

"What do you mean?"

"You came with me because you knew you could be pregnant, didn't you?" he checked with her and she shook her head. "You didn't want to stay with your parents and explain to them that you're having my child so you decided to burden me with it instead!"

"You're being a jerk," Amelia snapped at him, trying to keep her voice low as Jackson shook his head, unable to believe what he was thinking. She had done it on purpose to him. "I only thought about whilst we were waiting in the airport. Not before."

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Jackson wondered from her and she looked slightly hurt. After everything which they had gone through he still doubted her. He still doubted her honesty and her trust towards him.

"I am," she implored him. "I don't even know if I am pregnant yet...you really don't know how to be normal do you?"

"Normal?" Jackson hissed the word. "We don't know what normal is!"

"You're acting like a real ass," Amelia informed him. "I didn't know this could happen, okay? I had no idea until earlier and I told you that. Just shut up and believe me."

Jackson gritted his teeth together but turned away from her as she turned away from him, her eyes wide and her head shaking back and forth in disbelief. How wrangling his neck seemed like an option at that moment in time.

...

"Here," Jackson snapped at Amelia, handing her the pregnancy test which he had purchased from a store in New York which was around the corner from the reasonably priced hotel which he had booked them into for a night before they headed out to another part of the world. Amelia took the box from him as she stood up from the bed and moved into the en-suite, slamming the door shut behind her. Jackson took a seat on the edge of the mattress, leaning forwards with his hands laced together whilst he thought about anything other than Amelia being pregnant.

Amelia's hands shook slightly as she set the stick down on the top of the sink and she took a seat on the edge of the bathtub, her hands holding onto the side of it as her eyes never left the pregnancy test which seemed to be staring back at her. Time went by slowly as she checked the watch on her wrist, a part of her hoping to find out but the other part of her not wanting to know. She didn't need to know.

Finally, time stopped and she stood up, looking down at the test before her hand covered her mouth and her eyes closed, her whole body collapsed to the floor with fear as Jackson's ears pricked up at hearing the noise. He stood up and moved to the bathroom door, knocking once and receiving no answer. Taking things into his own hands, he opened the door and saw her sat on the floor, the pencil skirt she wore rose up to her upper thigh as she remained quiet, her head resting against the cold wall.

"It's positive," she finally croaked up and he looked across to her and then back at the test which sat in the sink. He sighed once, his hands tugging through his hair as he turned on the spot, his back hitting the wall and he slowly sunk down to sit beside her.

"What now?" Amelia wondered from him and he looked at her, seeing that she had begun to cry as red circles moved around her eyes. He shrugged, wondering if he should even ask her that question or not.

"Do you want to...well...keep it?" he asked in a low mutter and Amelia nodded in response. There was no way she was getting rid of it. "And do you want...to stay...with me?"

"Jackson," she whispered. "If you don't want-"

"-That's not what I said," Jackson told her with a shake of his head. "I asked if you wanted to stay with me, Amelia."

"Yes," she admitted to him.

"Okay," he nodded, trying to keep his calm as he thought long and hard. Amelia noted the sudden change in him and wondered where it had come from. He'd gone ballistic when she had first told him and now he was full of peace and serenity.

"You're not mad?" she asked and he shook his head, gulping loudly before he looked back to her.

"Would being mad help me?" he asked and she bit down on her bottom lip. "You're pregnant and that is all there is to it. Me being angry won't get us anywhere and it won't change the fact that you're having a baby."

"Thank you," Amelia said, her voice sincere as Jackson nodded and she leant across to kiss his cold cheek. He nodded once at her and the pair of them remained seated in their own silence.

...

A/N: He handled it a bit better this time round! Anyway, thank you to trudes193, CuteSango07 and Bradly93 for reviewing the previous chapter! Do let me know what you think!


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